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Chapter 32……………………………
I heard about Melody Jodiana’s obituary exactly three days after his death.
The moment I heard the news, I crossed the border despite everyone’s objections. Even though I rushed as much as I could, it was already late at night when I arrived at the funeral hall.
When I entered the silent hall with no one inside, a strange chill crept up my spine. Instead of running away immediately, I forced my legs to stay still and calmly thought it through.
Was this also magic? Otherwise, how could there be absolutely no sign of people inside? And for someone like Melody Jodiana, wasn’t this funeral far too modest?
Forcing down my thoughts, I quietly crossed the interior and opened the innermost door. Moonlight poured in through the opposite window, spilling across the floor in a bluish glow—and beneath it, I saw Dell sitting alone in profile.
The moment I saw him, all the thoughts flooding my mind vanished.
It was a reunion after eight years.
I had come, at least—but I didn’t actually know what I was supposed to say. I had thought we would meet again later. I didn’t think we were short on time, either. I rushed, and still… had I already been too late?
I had imagined all sorts of worst-case scenarios. But even among them, Melody Jodiana’s death wasn’t included. How could he possibly die?
No. That wasn’t what mattered right now.
Perhaps sensing my presence, Dell slowly turned his head toward me. His already pale complexion looked ghostly, drained of color. His hollow eyes—like he had lost all will—made me unconsciously curl my lips into a gentle smile, as if to reassure him.
“Long time no see, Dell.”
If I didn’t pretend to be calm like this, I felt like I would rush over and pour out everything I was holding back.
Why are you making that face? As if everything in the world is meaningless, as if you might disappear at any moment.
“Who are you? I don’t know anyone like you.”
His sharp, irritated reply—clearly thrown off by my attitude—somewhat eased the tension in my nerves. I laughed without meaning to, and he narrowed his eyes further. The spark returning to his gaze was oddly comforting.
I stepped inside and stood about three steps away from him. Looking down at him, I spoke with a hint of playfulness.
“Why are you here alone? Where are Sorel and that old man Engi?”
“They couldn’t stay here for three days straight. Today’s the last day of the funeral anyway, and I needed some time alone to think.”
So it was magic after all that made the hall empty. Wait—how did I even get in here? Before I could resolve that question, Dell asked:
“You came to see Master?”
I had expected him to ask why I disappeared without a word, but Dell only let out a faint laugh and added,
“Master was waiting for you a lot.”
“…Really?”
“It would’ve been better if you’d come a little earlier.”
Watching Dell speak weakly made me feel strangely uneasy. I knelt down and sat beside him. In the dark I hadn’t noticed, but up close, his eyes were slightly swollen. When I reached out and gently touched the corner of his eye, he twisted his face in disgust.
“Why are you suddenly doing that? That’s not like you.”
Seeing that expression—like he was disgusted by something so uncharacteristically intimate—made me want to laugh again. It was almost reflexive, as if laughing could somehow calm my unease.
“What are you going to do after the funeral ends?”
“I’ll go back to my research, I guess. That’s what I’ve always done.”
For an eight-year reunion, it was a strangely calm conversation. But I was sure Dell knew too. That there was already a huge gap between us.
“I heard you became a professor at the academy.”
“You went back to the royal palace.”
“By circumstance.”
“Right.”
I had returned to the Velitas royal palace about a year ago. He could have asked where I had been before that, but that was the end of it. I tried to suppress the growing anxiety in myself.
“You can stay as long as you want. You were his disciple too.”
“Wait.”
As Dell stood up, I unconsciously grabbed his wrist.
A sharp slap echoed, and a stinging sensation spread across my hand. Dell, frozen after pulling his hand away, stammered.
“W-why are you grabbing me all of a sudden? If you’re going to leave anyway, then just stay still and go—why are you doing this?”
“Why?”
“What?”
“Why do you look like you want to avoid me so badly?”
I could have understood if he had been angry. If he had grabbed me by the collar and demanded why I disappeared, or hit my back in frustration, or poured out resentment—I would have accepted that. I hadn’t left without preparing for that much.
But at the very least, shouldn’t he ask me why? Instead, he looked like he didn’t even want to touch me, trying to escape me entirely.
Had eight years created such a gap? Or—
“…Because you’re going to leave again anyway.”
A barely audible murmur slipped into my ear. If the surroundings hadn’t been so quiet, I would never have heard it.
It felt like watching a hedgehog bristle its spines to hide its wounds. The fragments of lingering attachment were so strangely welcome that I couldn’t speak for a moment. Misinterpreting my silence, Dell turned away again—but I tightened my grip on his wrist and spoke.
“You said you’d focus on research.”
Dell glanced back at me, clearly annoyed, as if I were a noose wrapped around his hand. Knowing his indifference was just a shield hiding loneliness, I didn’t step back.
It was a completely impulsive decision.
“If you’re not busy right now… want to do a job with me?”
“…What?”
I smiled softly, staring straight at Dell’s expression as it twisted like he was looking at a con artist.
Meanwhile
“Reporting. Pamel Anderson, who was on guard duty that day, has confessed that she accepted money and allowed suspicious individuals into the barrier transmission tower. However, she repeatedly claims she cannot remember what they did.”
“So she’s saying the same thing as Rokvald. A mind-altering spell?”
“The investigation is still ongoing, so we cannot confirm yet.”
“Status of the suspect?”
“We are still tracking them. We receive periodic updates, but…”
Inspector Leta clicked her tongue irritably in response to her subordinate Krem’s report. She picked up one of the mountain-like stacks of documents on her desk and tapped it lightly.
“You’re telling me we still can’t find a single girl after all this time?”
“We apologize. We didn’t expect it to take this long.”
The three massive monsters that appeared two months ago, the rampage incident at the Polonel Hotel’s new drug presentation, and the recent monster outbreak that shook the capital.
At first, the incidents seemed unrelated, so the department in charge didn’t consider them connected.
It was only while investigating the mastermind behind the barrier transmission tower shutdown that Jaeisha began to suspect a link.
To manipulate the magic circle known as the heart of the tower, a key was required—and there were three people who had possessed it that night.
Among them, Pamel Anderson had memory gaps like holes in cheese. Around the same time, they discovered that Rokvald—the Zoro Trading Company owner detained after the drug presentation incident—had said something similar.
Furthermore, analysis of monster remains from the recent attack confirmed they were similar in nature to those previously summoned in the middle of the city.
Thus, Jaeisha continued investigating under the assumption that all three incidents were caused by the same force.
“Find them no matter what! They might be a crucial lead.”
“Given how much time has passed… it may already be too late.”
“If they’re dead, confirming that is still our duty. And have you been taught to give up so easily, Officer Holid?”
“No, sir.”
As Holid quickly lowered his head, Leta flipped through the documents.
“When is the deadline for the materials lent by the Patia National Research Institute?”
“Six months. They must be returned in the fall. We’ve already made copies as you instructed.”
“Hm… the characteristics match about 70% of the monster remains we recovered.”
“Could the culprit be connected to Patia after all?”
“That is still too early to conclude.”
Just as he frowned at the lack of clarity despite so many suspicious points, a knock came from outside.
“Inspector, the special investigation team has just arrived in the conference room.”
“I’m coming.”
Leta draped the blue cloak symbolizing Jaeisha over her shoulder and left the room.
A special investigation team had been formed by the government to handle the recent monster incident. Probably a bunch of desk-bound officials spouting nonsense, she thought. Hopefully they wouldn’t interfere with the investigation.
Muttering, she walked down the hall as her subordinates followed behind her, arms full of documents.
“Inspector, your expression. Fix your expression!”
“Shut up.”
It was only natural she was irritated—outsiders were stepping into their jurisdiction. She would follow orders from above, but she had no intention of groveling.
Let’s see what kind of people they sent.
She strode to the conference room and flung the door open.
And froze.
The scene inside was… bizarre beyond belief.
“So, summarizing the materials, the person most closely linked to the clues is this girl named ‘Nella,’ correct?”
A brown-haired woman standing at the front tapped a board filled with photos. Lines of various colors connected them, and text crowded around every corner.
If it had stopped there, it might have been tolerable. But the people sitting neatly like students attending a lecture, nodding along enthusiastically, made her headache double. If her memory wasn’t wrong, this was supposed to be the special investigation team arriving today.
Their eyes were sparkling, too.
What on earth was this situation?
“What are you doing?”
“Oh, you’ve arrived?”
The woman smiled brightly at Leta’s dumbfounded question.
“Aren’t these materials meant for us? We had some time left, so we were reviewing them.”
What the hell is wrong with this woman?
