Anchor Point

"Guard Oneself?"

Tales repeated it, his face full of confusion.

Yet he was utterly bewildered, as if he had fallen into a fog.

Magic Pact Sub.

Guard Oneself.

Compared with the mysterious Do Not Inquire Deeply, this rule seemed ordinary and unremarkable, as if it needed no further explanation.

"A Magic User must Guard Oneself at all times."

"That's all there is to it." The stranger looked utterly unapproachable:

"Figure out the rest yourself."

Hmm, figure it out him—

Huh?

Tales suddenly jolted as he came to his senses!

He stared at the other party, dumbfounded.

Figure it out himself?

What the hell.

This teaching style—dropping a sentence and immediately turning around to leave—

Why did it seem so familiar?

"Wait, wait, wait! You're... leaving it at that?"

Tales widened his eyes and looked at the stranger, who seemed ready to bolt at any moment. He desperately tried to say more, attempting to keep him there:

"What exactly does Guard Oneself mean? I mean, 'Do Not Inquire Deeply' at least sounds like an actual rule..."

But just as Tales was preparing to fire off a string of questions, the stranger gently raised his head and looked into the distance.

"You should leave." With his hands behind his back, he said coldly:

"They've noticed."

Tales' eyelid twitched.

They.

The Girls.

"So soon?"

The boy imitated the other party and looked at the hazy sky, which appeared completely empty to him.

Sure enough, there was still nothing there.

But...

Tales rubbed his aching head and said in frustration:

"Why are they... so interested in me?"

The question silenced the atmosphere for a moment.

After a long while, the stranger finally put his hands behind his back and spoke quietly.

"Don't blame them." His unfamiliar words were filled with detached sorrow:

"They're pitiful