Nairn...
Orphanage...
Inside the cosy yet well-organized cabin of Tesera Rapul, the flickering candlelight cast shadows along the wooden walls.
Seated behind her desk, Tesera rested her chin on her hand, her sharp eyes studying the woman before her.
Mereoleona Vermillion—
her former student, the fiery and relentless warrior—
stood in silence.
That alone was unusual.
Normally, the woman would have already started talking, likely in her usual blunt and energetic manner.
Yet today, she simply stood there, arms crossed, gaze unwavering but quiet.
Tesera raised an eyebrow, briefly entertaining a fleeting thought—
Had Mereoleona finally realized she was a woman?
The idea was absurd enough to make her shake her head.
'No, that can't be it.'
Breaking the silence, Tesera finally spoke.
"Well? Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to tell me why you're here?"
Her voice was firm yet laced with curiosity.
Mereoleona exhaled sharply through her nose before finally opening her mouth to speak.
"Seraphina."
were the only word uttered by Mereoleona calmly.
At the mention of the name Seraphina Rapul, Tesera's entire body stilled.
For the first time in the conversation, her sharp composure faltered—
only for a moment, but Mereoleona caught it.
"...Seraphina?"
Tesera repeated, her voice measured, but there was an unmistakable edge to it.
Mereoleona nodded firmly, not breaking eye contact.
"I met her."
A heavy silence filled the cabin before Mereoleona continued.
"____"
"She's a traitor now. She tried to assassinate the king and was captured by Dorothy."
Her tone was direct, but there was something close to respect in how she was delivering the news.
Tesera said nothing at first.
Her fingers curled slightly against the wooden desk.
The candlelight flickered between them, illuminating her neutral but unreadable expression.
"You're telling me this because she's my sister,"
she finally said.
It wasn't a question.
Mereoleona nodded.
"You deserved to know."
Tesera closed her eyes for a brief moment before exhaling.
When she opened them again, they were cold and unreadable.
"And what do you expect me to do with this information?"
Tesera's gaze remained cold, her fingers still resting against the wooden desk.
Mereoleona, observing her reaction, exhaled sharply before speaking again.
"____"
"From my interaction with Seraphina Rapul, I could tell you two weren't exactly... on good terms."
Her words were blunt, but there was a flicker of curiosity in her tone.
Tesera didn't immediately respond.
"____"
Instead, she leaned back slightly in her chair, her fingers now interlocking as she studied Mereoleona.
Tesera exhaled, her gaze momentarily drifting to the candle's flickering flame.
Sigh~
"...Seraphina and I were once close,"
she admitted, her voice carrying a weight that hadn't been there before.
Mereoleona remained silent, waiting.
"When we were younger, we both got selected into rival Magic Knight squads. It was supposed to be the beginning of our legacy—a proud moment for our family."
Tesera's fingers tapped lightly against the desk.
"I focused on my duty, and worked hard to prove myself. But Seraphina..."
She paused as if weighing her next words.
"She fell in love. And eventually, she got married."
Mereoleona raised an eyebrow.
"That was a problem?"
Tesera let out a quiet, humourless chuckle.
Chuckle~
"For our family? Of course it was. Especially when she chose her own path instead of the one laid out for her."
Mereoleona understood instantly.
Nobles often had expectations—
arranged marriages, family obligations, upholding honor.
Choosing love over duty wasn't something that was easily forgiven.
"Our family... including myself, resented her decision,"
Tesera admitted, her voice quieter now.
"And over time, Seraphina drifted away from us. At first, it was small things—missing family gatherings, replying late to letters. Then she stopped coming home altogether. Eventually, she cut off contact completely."
She sighed, shaking her head.
Sigh~
"And just like that, my sister—our connection—ceased to exist."
Tesera's eyes finally met Mereoleona's again, sharper now.
"Until today. Until you brought up her name."
The room was silent for a few moments.
"...Told me,"
Tesera said at last,
"what kind of woman has Seraphina become."
Mereoleona studied her sensei's expression, watching as Tesera processed everything in silence.
For a long moment, the only sound in the room was the crackling of the candle flame.
"____"
"____"
Then, with a quiet sigh, Tesera finally spoke.
"...I never thought I'd hear her name again,"
she admitted, almost to herself.
"Much less from you."
Mereoleona folded her arms, waiting.
Tesera drummed her fingers against the desk once, then stood up, her decision made.
"I'm going to the prison,"
she declared.
"If Seraphina is truly beyond redemption, I want to hear it from her own mouth."
Her voice was firm, but there was something else beneath it.
A trace of uncertainty.
Mereoleona smirked.
Smirk~
"Hmph. Guess I'll be tagging along, then."
Tesera didn't object.
For the first time in years, she was going to face the sister she had long considered lost.
Black bulls Headquarters...
In the chaotic hideout of the Black Bulls, their captain sat in the bathroom, leisurely flipping open a summoning order sealed with the royal crest.
He squinted at the parchment, reading the words carefully.
"...Tch. The king's calling me? What does he want now?"
Crumpling the paper slightly in his grip, he sighed, finishing up before stepping out.
"Oi, Finral!"
he bellowed, his voice echoing through the hideout.
A few moments later, a startled Finral appeared from the common room, looking mildly concerned.
"Huh? What now, Captain?"
"Open a portal,"
the captain ordered, tossing the parchment toward him.
"We're going to the capital."
Finral caught the paper and read it quickly before groaning.
"Aghhh, why is it always me?"
"Because you're the only one who can do it, dumbass."
Despite his complaints, Finral raised his hand, activating his spatial magic.
A portal swirled open in front of them, leading straight to the Clover Kingdom's royal capital.
With a lazy stretch, the captain cracked his neck.
"Alright, let's see what this is about."
And with that, he stepped through.
King's Palace...
Inside the grand throne room of the Clover Kingdom, the air was thick with expectation.
Ben sat on his throne, his sharp gaze fixed on the two men before him—
Captain Yami Sukehiro and Finral Roulacase of the Black Bulls.
Yami stood with his arms crossed, his usual laid-back yet intimidating presence filling the room.
Finral, on the other hand, looked around nervously, clearly feeling out of place in the royal palace.
Ben leaned forward slightly.
"I called you here because I have a special mission—one that only the Black Bulls can handle."
Yami raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Sounds interesting."
Ben continued.
"Your task is to collect information and, if necessary, make a move on any villages where you find corruption. I'm specifically assigning you to the outskirts of the Clover Kingdom—places where the Magic Knights' influence is weak."
Finral blinked.
"Wait, are you saying we'll be acting without direct orders from the Magic Knight Headquarters?"
Ben nodded.
"That's right. This is an exclusive mission for your squad. You'll be operating with more freedom than usual, but that also means more responsibility. If you find anything suspicious—nobles exploiting commoners, illegal activities, or hidden threats—you deal with it."
Yami smirked.
"Heh. So, you want us to be rogue enforcers out in the wild, huh? Sounds like my kind of job."
Ben's expression remained serious.
"Your squad is known for handling unconventional missions. That's exactly what this requires."
Yami took a slow drag from his cigarette, exhaling thoughtfully.
Then, he grinned.
Grin~
"Alright, Your Majesty, you've got yourself a deal."
Ben gave a satisfied nod.
Nod~
"Good. Report back only if necessary. Otherwise, I expect results."
With that, the Black Bulls' covert operation in the outskirts of the kingdom was officially set in motion.
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):Thanks for reading the chapter!
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