In the bustling hall, magic users gathered around various magic copper mirrors, which were broadcasting live footage from the new trainees' autumn trials. Chronos sat in the head seat, chin resting on her hand, feeling a growing sense of boredom.
A small copper mirror sat before her, but she felt so bored she was about to fall asleep. Her eyes were half-lidded, making her look drowsy. From time to time, trainees would steal glances at this lazy yet young and beautiful member of the Five Staves.
Chronos idly scanned the trainees sitting on wooden chairs in the hall watching the competition. She felt that it wouldn't be long before she could comfortably drift off into dreamland.
Suddenly, a gasp went through the crowd. Many people turned their gaze toward Chronos. She opened her eyes, a bit dazed, and looked at the crowd below with confusion.
Wait, why is everyone looking at me?
Beside her stood a girl wearing a black men's dress suit. Though it was a men's style, the cinched waist design outlined the girl's slender figure. Her blood-red eyes held no emotion, and her snow-white hair draped down her back.
She looks so good. My Li Yue.
Chronos propped up her head and admired her for a moment. Most of the trainees below were no longer paying attention to the competition; they stared curiously at the girl on the stage. Although she appeared to be only a projection, they could feel her cold aura and a faint sense of pain.
The projection reached out slightly. Resting on her left hand, which wore a ring with a blood-red gemstone on the ring finger, was a small doll. Though it didn't look particularly exquisite, Chronos recognized at a glance that the little doll was Li Yue.
A note was attached to the doll: 【I didn't know what to give you, so I made a doll by hand. You're not allowed to dislike it.】
The phantom slowly dissipated. As Chronos looked at the doll in her hand, all her previous exhaustion and sleepiness vanished. She gripped the doll with one hand and poked it here and there with the other, looking quite happy.
She pushed the copper mirror aside, cleared the table, placed the little doll on the surface, and leaned down to admire it closely.
...
In the snow-covered Asylum, Li Yue sat in the greenhouse. The girl who had played the music before sat beside her, guiding her on the violin in halting speech. This guidance had been going on for many days.
Li Yue's skill was improving by leaps and bounds. It might have been because she was naturally gifted, or because she was a magic user, or perhaps because she practiced diligently. The girl's speech was also becoming more fluent; she had rarely communicated before, but now she would occasionally chat with Lane.
While Lane's psychological treatment had only a mediocre effect on Li Yue, it was remarkably effective for a girl like this who had previously been closed off but now had a crack in the door to her heart.
In Li Yue's words: "It seems I'm already beyond cure, but your skills are actually decent."
Li Yue played the violin in the greenhouse, performing not only the pieces Roland had written for her but also Roland's own compositions. According to the girl, these works were breathtaking. Li Yue simply tried over and over to feel Roland's state of mind.
The melodious tune drifted through the air. As for why she played in the greenhouse, one reason was the pleasant environment, and the other was that she had heard plants grew better in a musical environment.
"Lane, get your ass out here!"
Li Yue's movements faltered slightly. She walked out of the greenhouse with curiosity, and the music-loving girl followed beside her. Curiosity now flickered in both of their usually emotionless eyes.
They hid around a corner and watched as Lane awkwardly smoked a cigarette while a lady in a nun's habit grabbed him by the collar, ranting wildly.
"Didn't you tell me that doing volunteer work would get me plant seeds?!"
"Aren't these plant seeds you got...?"
"This is fucking corn! Who grows corn in a greenhouse?!" As she spoke, she yanked off her nun's veil, revealing hair as vibrant green as life itself.
"Just tell me if they're plant seeds or not." Lane dodged clumsily, avoiding the flurry of attacks from the nun's hands as he ran around. Seeing things take a turn for the worse, Li Yue led the girl back toward the greenhouse.
"Lane! Don't think I won't beat you just because you're running to the greenhouse! I'll knock you flat before you get there!"
"Aestherin, aren't you actually enjoying yourself? Last time I went to the church, I saw you having a great time with the kids!"
"Go to hell! Do you have any idea what those people who come to confess talk about every day except weekends?!"
"Oh, well, I went through that too. Just think of it as doing a good deed."
"Good deed my ass! Don't you run!"
Li Yue watched from a distance, unable to help but admire Lane's professional dodging skills. If she were the one dodging without relying on her instincts for life and danger, she might actually take a few hits.
"Sister Aestherin and Mr. Lane have always had a good relationship, even though they're always bickering like this." The girl pulled her head back. "My mom and dad were always bickering too, but their relationship wasn't good."
Li Yue rubbed the girl's head, not knowing how to explain the difference.
Just then, a figure dashed into the greenhouse. His white shirt was stained with a bit of dust, and he dodged behind Li Yue and the girl.
You bastard.
Li Yue was somewhat speechless.
The woman with emerald-green hair rushed in. She raised her fists, looked at Li Yue and the girl huddled together, and seemed like a warrior who had drawn her sword only to find no enemy to strike.
"Hello," Li Yue waved. "I'm Li Yue."
"He... hello, Ms. Aestherin," the girl said timidly.
Aestherin froze for a good while. She pointed at the girl, looked at Lane, and her mouth hung open in shock.
"Melina, you..." Aestherin stumbled back a step. Lane quickly supported her, but she was still in a daze, so she gave Lane a punch.
"Does it hurt?"
"I feel like I'm dying."
"You cured her?"
"Ms. Li Yue deserves some credit."
"Little Melina is speaking again. That's great."
"Actually... I used to talk to myself in my room."
Li Yue stood to the side as if watching a harmonious family of three. She watched in silence, feeling a faint sense of warmth from this small interaction.
"Sorry, I accidentally ignored you. I'm Aestherin, the warden here."
"Hello. I've heard Mr. Lane mention you," Li Yue said with a smile.
"Oh? What did he say about me?"
"A compassionate, gentle lady." Li Yue's lip twitched.
"You don't have to lie for him." Aestherin gave a kind smile.
"It's the truth, it's just that the impact of reality is quite large." Li Yue laughed.
"The impact of her fists is even larger," Lane added in a low voice.
"Are all the plants here cultivated by you?" Li Yue quickly changed the subject.
"Yes, I put a lot of effort into it." Aestherin sighed. "It's just that this place is lacking many plant seeds."
Li Yue was silent for a moment.
"Can Cecilia flowers be grown here?"
"They can, but they're very hard to keep alive." Aestherin sighed.
"I can help you find some plant seeds. In return, I hope you can help me grow some Cecilia flowers." Li Yue thought for a moment. "You can make a list, and I can send it to a friend far away and have her send them over."
"They're too hard to preserve. The cost of life-sustaining magic for long-distance transport is beyond your imagination."
"I have a way."
Aestherin thought about it and took a list from her ring. It was covered in marks and scribbles, looking as if she had been preparing it for a long time.
"By the way, why are you here?"
"Me? Probably because I'm beyond cure." Li Yue smiled, the red glow in her eyes causing Aestherin to startle.
The path to salvation would likely have to be found by herself, but for now, it was a good time to soothe her state of mind.
In Li Yue's room, the red and black "invitation" glowed faintly. Several lines of text clearly appeared where it had been blank.
November 15th, the gathering will be held as usual.
Rate on N.U.
