Dual Experiment

"I refuse."

Her crisp, pleasant voice carried the refined manners of someone born into high society. Her delicate, fair features and radiant golden hair stood amid the silver wolf's points of light in the nighttime forest.

If he had not completely become a Participant, Fang Ran felt that he probably would have been too nervous to speak in front of a woman so far out of his league.

But—

"Whether it's you or me, we're both in danger of being hunted by those people right now. No matter how you look at it, it'd be better to act together."

Hearing her refusal, Fang Ran felt a helplessness that was somehow expected. Temporarily setting aside his thoughts about this incident and Against the Current's attack, he looked at Osphia, who was gently stroking the giant silver wolf's neck, and spoke bluntly.

"Can I at least ask why?"

"If Ignat was able to catch up to you, that means your whereabouts have already been exposed. Acting with someone like you, who recklessly broke into their manor only last night, is far too risky. And besides—"

Having given a reason she could accept, Osphia turned her azure eyes away, not letting Fang Ran see the emotion in them. She lightly bit her lip and leaped onto the silver wolf's back. Her final words slowly faded into the night like a quiet murmur to herself.

"I don't want to rely on your power alone."

Then she left the young man's dark figure standing by himself at the forest's edge, staring blankly in surprise.

Northwest of London, beneath the manor.

Personnel transferred from the royal court's headquarters castle were busy at work. In the underground space, the remains that had been cleared away now covered the hole in the hall, but the enormous destruction from