Heading home

On the main road, Zhao Si, Helena, and Malenia rode their horses toward the Academy of Magic.

Once they were far from the Shaded Castle, Zhao Si took out the Executioner's Sword. He held it in one hand, only for it to drop straight to the ground, dragging him sideways.

His horse startled, whinnied, and stopped.

Hearing the commotion, Malenia and Helena turned toward Zhao Si.

"You stole the Executioner's Sword?" Malenia asked in surprise.

"Yes." Zhao Si nodded, needing both hands to lift the Executioner's Sword. "This is ridiculous. Why make it so big? How is anyone supposed to use it?"

Malenia snatched the Executioner's Sword from him. The greatsword's enormous blade stirred up a gust as it swept through the air.

Whoosh!

The rounded tip of the Executioner's Sword pointed at Zhao Si's nose.

"When are you going to give it back?" Malenia asked.

She wasn't stupid. She knew Zhao Si had stolen the sword to make Mare Mare let them leave. Still, stealing wasn't a good thing, which was why she asked.

"Once we're a little farther away, we can have someone deliver it back." Zhao Si held both hands up in front of him, signaling his surrender.

"If you want to master the Flowing Sword, technique alone isn't enough. Strength is essential too," Malenia said.

As she spoke, she tossed the Executioner's Sword at Zhao Si.

"Senior sister, senior sister! Don't throw it!" Zhao Si hurriedly caught the blade of the Executioner's Sword between his palms. Its weight forced him backward, nearly toppling him off his horse.

The less-than-sharp edge hovered before his nose, threatening to slide down.

Thinking fast, he summoned ghostflame to coil around the Executioner's Sword. He used [Ghostflame: Ohega's Dancing Blade] to suspend it in the air, then opened his Inventory and tossed the sword inside.

Only then did he brace his lower back and let out a long breath. "That nearly broke my back."

He stretched his back, then gave her a sheepish smile. "Thank you for the lesson, senior sister."

"Hey, how did you steal the sword?" Helena's job that night had been to fool Mare Mare and Eleonora, so she hadn't known what Zhao Si was doing.

For several days in a row, Helena had sweet-talked Mare Mare until he did whatever she said. Then they had used Mare Mare to lure Eleonora away, giving Zhao Si an opportunity to steal the sword.

It was no exaggeration to say that Eleonora slept with the Executioner's Sword in his arms. He treated it as his own family heirloom, normally keeping it locked in his house and never straying far from home.

Even Zhao Si's lessons in Ohega's Dancing Blade and their earlier wood-chopping contest had taken place in Eleonora's little courtyard.

There was no time to make a move during the day, and no opportunity at night.

That was how the scheme to have Mare Mare invite Eleonora to a banquet had come about. Worried that Malenia wouldn't be able to act, Zhao Si had told her nothing, saying only, "When the time comes, be nicer to Eleonora. Give him a few compliments."

Malenia hadn't understood why, but she had done as he asked. Saying a few nice things cost her nothing.

Then, once Eleonora was drunk, Zhao Si had taken the opportunity while escorting him home to draw the Executioner's Sword straight out with [Ghostflame: Ohega's Dancing Blade] and toss it into his Inventory.

Mission accomplished. Once something was in his Inventory, even the greater will wouldn't be able to see it.

Mare Mare was even less likely to suspect them. Setting their personal ties aside, the Executioner's Sword alone was almost as tall as a person when stood upright. Zhao Si and his companions were traveling light, without so much as a carriage. How could they hide it?

Besides, they had become friends over the past few days. Mare Mare wasn't particularly wary of them, which was why he had asked Zhao Si to help find the sword. Who knew how much trouble it would cause if the people of the Shaded Castle learned it was missing?

Eleonora blamed himself terribly and had declared that he would quit drinking. Now he locked himself in his room every day and refused to come out.

He was utterly miserable, feeling that he had betrayed Mare Mare's trust.

Mare Mare had no time to pine for Malenia either. All he could think about was getting the sword back. He had silently prayed to the Scarlet Goddess tens of thousands of times.

Meanwhile, the "Scarlet Goddess" was listening to Zhao Si tell his story, quietly laughing.

"I never thought you were that sort of person." There was no reproach in Malenia's voice.

"Have you suddenly realized how clever your junior brother is?" Zhao Si asked shamelessly.

"You certainly have plenty of cunning little tricks." Malenia smiled.

"Great people have great wisdom. Little people have little tricks." Zhao Si felt that the distance between himself and Malenia had narrowed.

Suddenly, Malenia pulled on her reins and stopped her horse. "Any farther, and we'll be entering Ranni's territory."

"I know," Zhao Si said. "The Full Moon Queen's Great Rune is the only solution I can think of."

"But even my brother doesn't know about this solution. How did you learn of it?" Malenia still wanted to get to the bottom of things.

Zhao Si's eyes shifted. "The Two Fingers told me."

He looked at Helena. "Right?"

"Right," Helena agreed.

"Don't think I don't know you're two of a kind." Malenia shook her head. "Backing each other up to fool me."

"Then what do you want to do, senior sister?" Zhao Si asked. "We're only one step away."

"It's not that simple. If I enter Ranni's territory without permission and anger her, it could very well spark a war between us." Malenia frowned slightly.

She had thought it through carefully, even considering the possibility of minor friction between Demigods. And she was right. Under this feudal arrangement, a small-scale war really could break out.

They all commanded troops in their own territories. A group of royal lords with both land and armies was frightening to contemplate.

Given a reason, two territories could go to war, and Leyndell might be able to do no more than mediate. Even if Radagon remained completely impartial, the most he could do was punish both sides equally.

They were both his daughters. He couldn't favor one over the other.

After some thought, Zhao Si decided to reveal something explosive. "That plot I mentioned, the one that would harm Godwyn, has something to do with Ranni too."

"Ranni?" Malenia recalled the cool, solitary girl she remembered and found it hard to believe. "That's impossible. Don't make things up."

"Senior sister, I'm really not lying to you. Tell me, what would I gain from deceiving you?" Zhao Si asked.

"You might not gain anything. But the Two Fingers might." Malenia held her chin, considering the possibilities.

Zhao Si's eyes widened. That possibility had never even occurred to him.

From Malenia's perspective, Zhao Si might have been sent by the Two Fingers to provoke a fight between her and Ranni.

It seemed she still didn't fully trust Zhao Si.

Zhao Si sighed. "Then there's nothing we can do. We'll have to go on our own. Goodbye, senior sister."

He stopped pestering Malenia and headed toward the Academy of Magic with Helena.

Helena grew anxious and muttered quietly, "Why are you letting her go? What about your plan?"

"I can't force her." Zhao Si lowered his head. "Looks like I was still

taking too much for granted. I thought mentioning Rennala would make her want to investigate, but it seems she has more concerns than I expected."

Before they had gone far, hoofbeats sounded behind them. Malenia caught up.

"If the Full Moon Queen really is as miraculous as you say, then I'm willing to try." Malenia seemed to have made a momentous decision.

Zhao Si froze for a moment, then broke into a delighted smile. "I knew you wouldn't abandon your junior brother."

After a fierce internal struggle, Malenia had weighed her position as an Empyrean against the hope of curing her affliction.

Thinking of how Miquella worked day and night on his research to cure her made her heart ache.

Her hand unconsciously covered her chest, where Miquella's needle lay embedded, an exceptionally rare needle of unalloyed gold. Yet it could only suppress the scarlet rot and stop it from spreading.

"If there really is a cure, even if it means war..." Malenia clenched her fist. "No, I should just apologize to Ranni."

The matter of Ranni could wait until they met her. Right now, Malenia wanted more than anything to see the Full Moon Queen and find out whether she could cure her.

Having no hope was one thing. Having hope and refusing to pursue it was another.

"We're all family, after all... aren't we?" Even Malenia didn't believe her own words.