"Although this matter is over, I don't think the Scarlet Secret Society failed because of inadequate preparations."
Shade suddenly said.
"Then what was the reason?"
the witch asked as she continued eating.
"They chose the wrong time. If they hadn't acted while Daknis was staying in Coldwater Port, and if it hadn't been after the Divine Descent Incident in Tobesk, the Church and the Academy definitely wouldn't have committed such a great deal of strength to deal with them."
Shade replied, using his dinner knife to strip the fish from its bones.
The witch thought for a moment.
"But no matter what, this time it was still the Church, which represented the righteous side, that won, just as it did in Tobesk. And that God Summoner is already qualified to become a legendary figure in stories a thousand years from now. He'll probably even be printed onto a Rhodes Card."
Compared to the reputation that troubled him, Shade was rather looking forward to possibly becoming the illustration on a Rhodes Card.
After dinner, neither Shade nor Miss Aurora attended the banquet. Driven by curiosity, Shade ultimately followed the witch to the beach behind the manor to see the mermaids.
Miss Aurora's personal maids carried golden candleholders and followed Shade and the mistress of the manor through the garden to the beach. Then, beneath the moonlight, the young ladies removed their shoes and entered the water, forming two straight rows that extended from the sea all the way to the shore.
Miss Aurora led Shade to the end of the head maid's line, watching the flickering candlelight stretch deep into the sea. The ocean breeze stirred the maids' skirts and long hair, pulling the candle flames into short streaks toward the shore from their wicks. The scene beneath the moon looked