It hadn't occurred to me before, but soon I could have met and seen everyone's auras. Joey's aura, Selena's aura, Laura's aura, Elizabeth's aura, shield boy's…

  Who knows what the mana of the strongest mage looks like. Though, right now, I'd probably be far more substantial than her. But mana, or rather, the connection between codex and libromancer is not as prominent as I imagined. Even with the sheer number of spells I possess, it remains quite thin around my body, and unless I purposely manipulate it or cast a spell, not even Crimson could sense it without focusing. Mine does waver a lot, though, unlike hers, which is less intense and quieter.

  Ironic, in a way. I expected a fire girl to be more… exuberant in that regard. But it's probably because she's accustomed to it, unlike me, barely controlling it. In fact, it shifts wildly based on my mood. And Crimson wasn't exactly helping me with that. Just like the bitch she is, she sought her fun… with me, obviously. Curse her.

  Funny, though… For how special she claimed to be, I was now more attuned to mana than her. Normally, I would've wallowed and found joy in this matter with superiority and nonchalance. Here, however… the most practical reaction I could muster was a light-hearted shrug and barely a laugh. That is the price of being an unwanted and unauthorized cheater, I suppose. But what could I do about it?

  Nothing...

  "Come on, sleepyhead…"

  I tried to breathe. As in… like every living person would. But the air was not making its way into my nose.

  Gasping and startled, I jumped backward. I was greeted by the sight of Crimson with a big and punch-seeking grin adorning her face, with her hand hovering in my direction.

  "Were you trying to suffocate me in my sleep or something?!" I reproached, glaring at her.

  "Would you have preferred a more intimate approach?" she cooed.

  "Yeah?!" I blurted out as my hand flourished.

  Her grin grew wider. "Good to know."

  That was a weird reaction… I blinked at that. "W-what are you thinking about, exactly?"

  "Hmm, nothing, nothing," she replied with a fond smile. "Anyway… are you ready to go?"

  "It's not like I have a choice, do I?"

  Now, her smile almost resembled my mother's. "Correct."

  She is highly capable of drawing groans out of me…

  Alas, with a sigh, I got out of bed. Hate to admit it, but she was right. First of all, we weren't in her parents' house, so we couldn't afford the luxury that came with that. Second, we had to find our guildmates. And lastly, we had a tournament to witness; perhaps, even more stuff in the city, since we had some free time for ourselves. Assuming Leonard didn't completely shut that down as soon as his eyes landed on us, that is…

  Once on my feet, I glanced at Crimson, nonchalantly combing her hair. She was forgetting something, once again. Something important, and it was not to my liking the way she shrugged it off. I walked up to her. "Crimson…"

  "Hmm? Yes?" she casually replied, looking down on me with eyes full of confidence.

  "Kiss."

  She hummed in response, never stopping her combing. "I feel like I'm spoiling you a bit too much."

  "What's that supposed to mean?" I pouted at her, which only seemed to incite a grin on her side.

  "Well, since Leonard will probably get mad at us… Fine, I'll treat you nice today," she said, pointing at a chair in the room. "Sit."

  I stared at the chair before turning back to her. "What for?"

  "Let me brush your hair, and choose your outfit. We have to put on makeup, too."

  "Oh… alright."

  Obeying, I sat down. She positioned herself behind me and, gently clasping my hair, threaded through them.

  According to her, I'm a complete mess when it comes to it. Now that my hair is fairly long, I should take better care of it. Initially, the way she combed through them elicited groans of pain from me due to all the knots; Joey was far gentler with it. Still, my pain did not stop Crimson. Rather, she probably enjoyed it.

  Thankfully, ever since then, my hair has been much tidier. Turns out maintaining something that's already in order is far more doable than dealing with it when in chaos. Even here, she's the one who took care of it.

  Flopping my head, I looked up at her. She shifted her focus and reciprocated my gaze with a tender smile. Today, for some unknown reason, she looked happier, almost laid-back, like a cozy fire cradling me. It felt… relaxing. It was as if my mother was doing it.

  "Ow!"

  I take it back. She yanked my hair. I take back everything I said. She's just a bitch.

  "Shh."

  "What 'shh'?! You pulled my hair! You bitch…"

  "Now, now. It's not wise to bite the hand that's feeding you. Just close your eyes and relax," she whispered.

  "No."

  She giggled. "I won't do it again if you close your eyes."

  That'd better be the case... "Fine… I'll close my eyes…" I relented with a grumble.

  My senses were now sharper and more distinct. My head swayed gently as I surrendered complete control of it to her hands; I could hear the brush combing my hair. Yes… this was relaxing. And the warm, unexpected caress of her lips against mine that followed was just as heartwarming.

  My eyes fluttered open to welcome a tender fire cradling my soul in full.

  "Satisfied?" she mocked.

  A chuckle escaped me at that, and I nodded. "Hmm-hm. I love you."

  "I'm definitely spoiling you too much."

  I didn't care. I didn't mind. So, after that, we got dressed and put on makeup, and with breakfast kindly provided by John, the day truly began.

  We all strolled around; the city was packed! The closer we got to the tournament's arena, the more difficult it became to move around. At some point, Pyrolina detached herself from the group, declaring she had business to attend to. Vincent, along with Rubro, John and his wife, pushed their way deeper to secure seats. Fortunately, since this event was one of the most attended, the King ensured there was enough space for everyone who wished to witness it.

  As I was getting somewhat jostled left and right by the crowd, I caught a glimpse of an Abyss Reavers' capelet.

  "Crimson, I saw one of us," I hastily told her, clasping her hand harder.

  "Hm? Oh…" Following my eyes, she noticed it.

  Pulling me, she dragged me along. The more I got closer, the more the figures were distinguishable. Two of them; one was surrounded by a thin layer of golden aura, while the other by a gray, kind of greenish one.

  "Aha!" Selena exclaimed as she noticed Crimson's approach, catching Jerald's attention too.

  "Oh, it's you two," Crimson regarded casually.

  "You two are alive!" Selena almost shouted. "I haven't heard from you in so long!" Her eyes then fell on me and Crimson's hand, clasped together. A smug smile adorned Selena's face. "Aaaah, I seeeee..."

  I almost facepalmed. Thankfully, Crimson redirected the conversation. "Where's Leonard?"

  "Ah, they're lounging somewhere nearby. It's still two hours before the match, so they're taking it easy," she informed.

  "Two hours?!" I angrily exclaimed. "Then why is it so packed here?"

  "Right?!" Selena clearly agreed with me, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Everyone is so agitated! Like, relax everyone! Nobody is gonna steal your seat!"

  Jerald chuckled at that. "Well, it's Carolina and the Prince, after all…"

  "Can you show us where Leonard is?" Crimson swerved once again.

  Selena cheerfully nodded. "Sure, let's head somewhere we can breathe."

  Plan settled, we made our way into a much quieter and more open area. It didn't take long for us to regroup with our members. They were indeed lounging outside a sophisticated place, enjoying drinks. As soon as Leonard's eyes fell upon us, his shoulders slumped with a sigh.

  Somehow, I was expecting a different reaction entirely.

  Elizabeth and Joey were also there; all of them stood up as soon as they noticed us.

  "Argenta," Joey greeted with a smile as he approached, waving his hand. I waved mine in return.

  Indeed, the connection between Elizabeth's codex and her was quite intense; not as much as her ridiculously large hat. Which, for some reason, was conspicuously absent and nowhere to be found. Still, I could tell she possessed a great deal of spells. Her aura is azure, though… dim? Almost as if it were tired. It's hard to explain because, as much as it was intense, Crimson's was way more striking and vivid. At the same time, it was obvious that Elizabeth possessed more spells. In the end, it's just as Crimson had explained… it's just like gas; they might appear similar, but the intensity can greatly differ.

  As for Joey's aura: gray, much thinner and fainter, but he looked a bit different from how I remembered him; he wore casual clothes, and his shoulders seemed broader.

  It was Elizabeth who broke the silence with a sentence and closeness just as awkward. "You're strong, Lady Argenta…"

  "Hm?"

  She looked a bit down, clutching her staff tightly. "I already knew you were… but I never realized how much. You're really strong…"

  "Huh… than…ks?"

  Was she talking about my aura? I couldn't understand…

  "Here, Elizabeth," Selena gently murmured, clasping her shoulders. "Let's get something warm to drink, what do you say?"

  Without even receiving approval, Selena dragged Elizabeth with her. Leonard, adjusting his glasses, glanced at us and sighed. "Where do I even start with you two?"

  Nothing but a weak chuckle escaped me at that. In a way, we shared the same question.

  Crimson, as if unfazed, shrugged with a smirk. "Come on, we've already been through this. Aren't you happy to see your members again?"

  Leonard's expression remained neutral. "We'll discuss this matter later. I expect… you both to have a good explanation. Regarding what's important right now… Crimson, you can check the reports and the details about the dungeon later. Still, for Elizabeth's sake, I have to ask you to refrain from mentioning Laura around her."

  "Hm? How come?" Crimson asked.

  "During the last dungeon… Laura passed away."

  "Huh?"

  "What?"

  Leonard met us both with silence. None of us could say anything. With another flick of his finger to push his glasses back to the bridge of his nose, he then looked at me. "Concerning you, Lady Argenta… I hope you're not allowing this girl to tarnish the reputation I came to praise when you first joined the guild."

  "..."

  With that, he turned and followed after Selena and Jerald, leaving us behind. Crimson scoffed.

  "Crimson?" I called.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Without facing me, she gave me her shoulder. "It's a shame."

  I blinked. I didn't know what to do in this situation… Was I supposed to bring some form of comfort? Was she even upset? What was going on inside her mind, I had no clue…

  "What is it?" I tried.

  With a shrug, she sighed heavily. "The strongest mage is gone from this world… it's a shame," she replied. "I miss one dungeon, and this happens…"

  I had no reason to feel bad, her tone was not even accusatory. Still, I felt like that was somehow referred to me. "Do you… want me to do something for you? Should I hug you?"

  She smirked, and offered a shake of her head. "No… but I'll go get a drink."

  And with that, she also left… Now, I was alone with Joey, and despite there being no real and specific reason for it, it felt awkward.

  "Hey…" I began.

  He approached, and while his smile was somewhat friendly, the way his hands slid into his pockets wasn't. "In the end, you never sent a letter."

  Well, perhaps there was a very real and specific reason.

  I had no excuse to offer… "Sorry…"

  "I was worried."

  "I'm sorry."

  "So, to make sure you were all right, I wrote to the priest."

  Ah, fuck…

  "He said you were going through a hard time," he continued. "Since you needed some time alone, you isolated yourself, and meditated while he watched over you."

  Oh…?

  While I blinked, stunned, he sighed.

  The priest… covered me?

  "I… I'm sorry, Joey," I still offered.

  He shrugged. "You and Elizabeth are both similar and completely different, in some ways..."

  "What… do you mean?"

  "Would you… like to go for a walk while we talk about it?" he offered. Somewhat reluctant, I accepted.

  Joey and I strolled for a bit through Goldenovum, observing people walking and running all around the arena where the tournament would soon take place. Through that confusion, at some point, he even paused at one of the many colorful stalls, getting two beverages adorned with straws we could sip from. I slurped at mine; it was fresh and fruity.

  "Elizabeth…" he resumed, walking and looking ahead. "Since Laura died, she's been going through a lot. Sometimes, she shuts herself in her room and doesn't come out, not even to eat. At the same time, she seeks out company to distract herself…" Halting, he then turned to me. "Then, there's you. You don't even isolate yourself, you straight up disappear."

  "... Are you mad at me, Joey?" I asked.

  "Don't get me wrong," he replied, waving his drink with a little smile. "I'm not mad, I'm just extremely confused."

  "Confused?"

  "Argenta… what's happening to you?"

  I was the one who was confused… "What are you talking about?"

  "When we first arrived at Zafferbridge, you said it was for a 'change of pace.' A change of pace that, quite literally… transformed into our jobs," he commented, scratching his cheek. "I've told you already; I actually like it. I like my job here now, I'm… happy, even though the last months have been what they've been. But… what about you?"

  My fingers tightened around my beverage. "Well…"

  "Since then… you've been distant, absent, troubled… pale," he said, his voice sounding pained. "Now I really wonder… is this the 'change of pace' you were looking for?"

  Those words got me thinking. I lowered my gaze, reflecting back at everything. It was indeed chaos, it still is chaos, and it surely will be chaos. Still, I suppose, something good also happened to me. I… met Crimson, after all… I met my true love…

  "Every cloud has a silver lining," I managed. "You're right… perhaps, this is not how I envisioned my 'change of pace'. However… It wasn't so bad. Through all the pain, I've had moments of joy. And while, unlike you, I didn't particularly bond with the rest of the guild… Crimson stood by me. You also did. You both did, during the lowest point in my life…"

  My hand instinctively reached for my chest; this was a new kind of warmth, my mind couldn't stop drifting to Crimson, her words, what she did for me. That damn red girl… "I'm really, really happy and grateful for that…"

  Shaking my head, I attempted to regain clarity and redirected my focus to him. "A-and I'm sorry. I should've sent you a letter, Joey! I really should've! But… but I have no excuse to offer… I'm discovering things about my mother that leave me… in pieces; you saw it yourself. Still, I'm sorry."

  He offered a smile. "You've always been full of secrets…"

  Hah, ironic... Even without trying, I suppose I left him in the dark more than once. An apple truly doesn't fall far from the tree…

  "You're right…" I tried, fidgeting with my beverage. "I'm… a lot of complicated stuff…"

  Indeed, since that dragon killed me… everything got more complicated. I couldn't recognize myself after dying once, let alone now, after dying more times than I cared to count. My thoughts were a mess, my feelings were a mess, my sensations even more so; my mother's teachings went out the window countless times. Even now, I couldn't recognize myself. Joey… is useful to me, without a doubt; the only person I could truly trust until Crimson came along. Still, undeniably someone I could rely on and couldn't let go. Even in this case, my mother's teachings helped me immeasurably.

  But what about now? Was I still following her teaching? Was my mother's shadow dictating my words, or was it my heart? I couldn't tell…

  When did I even begin worrying about what he thought of me?

  I really couldn't tell…

  Nonetheless, I don't like the idea of him being mad at me just as much as I don't like the idea of not understanding myself.

  "Don't say it like that," he offered with a chuckle. "I know you didn't do it on purpose; that's just the way you are. At least you're back, and you seem to be doing better now."

  "Do you really think that?" I asked, not believing that.

  "Well, you're not as pale as a ghost, for starters. You also do look happier. You look different, in a good way. That aside, I haven't seen you in so long that the effect it gives struck me. In the end, I was right."

  "Hm? What are you talking about?"

  "You absolutely look great with long hair."

  "Oh…" That was a compliment I was not expecting; I had even forgotten I let it grow because of what he said to me back then. "Thanks…" I murmured, feeling a warmth burning my cheeks as I twirled a strand of hair between my fingers, observing it.

  "Don't you agree?"

  "Well… I don't dislike it, I guess... And… what about you?" I said, trying to guide the conversation. "You… also seem to be doing better. Any news while I was away?"

  His eyes went to the side as he hummed. "Hmm, not much happened, actually. Though it's… not a nice thing to say, I've fully taken over Laura's position in the guild. It's not a hard job; I've helped my father with paperwork since I was a kid. And with the members, things are going smoothly; I even train with Jerald now. Regarding gossip… Leonard believes Crimson is a bad influence on you."

  A laugh escaped me at the last part. "Oh, she definitely is! Both mentally and physically. Still… I don't mind," I replied with a fond smile. "And… I'm glad to know you're doing well. I can see you've been training in these past few months."

  He also chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "Since I started training, Jerald keeps telling me to officially become a member instead of just being a collaborator," he lamented with a friendly sigh as he shook his head.

  "I also think you'd be a good member."

  At that, he blinked. "Is… is the sky falling or something? I think this is the first time I received a genuine compliment from you without the word 'wimp' attached!"

  "Oh, shut up and accept my compliments while I'm still in a good mood to offer them!"

  He laughed at that. I'd almost forgotten what it sounded like; it was beautiful to hear. "Hm, every time you disappear, you change. This time as well. In a good way."

  "Oh? So I wasn't good before?" I retorted, somewhat playfully.

  He waved his hands. "You know I don't mean that."

  "Hmm, well, how come you haven't greeted me with a hug yet, then?"

  Stifling a laugh, he approached, and warmly hugged me. "It's good to see you again, Argenta. Really."

  I reciprocated the embrace. "Thanks."

  So that the conversation could resume, after our heartfelt reunion, Joey straightened, only to be jostled by a loud slap on his shoulder. He nearly toppled.

  "There you are!" Jerald exclaimed cheerfully.

  "You two! You just disappeared!" Selena reproached as she puffed up her cheeks.

  At least, Joey laughed at that. At the same moment, Jerald shot me a glance. I simply blinked at the whole scene.

  "Sorry, sorry," Joey justified, waving his hands.

  "Should we begin heading to the arena?" Selena asked. "Before I actually fight with someone who tries to steal my seat?"

  Elizabeth also joined, clutching Joey's arm as she glanced at Selena. "I'm fine with going now."

  "Are you joining too, Argenta?" Joey asked me.

  "Ah, I am, but I'm with Crimson's family. So, go ahead," I replied. "Thinking about it… I have to find her," I then murmured, glancing around; red was nowhere to be seen.

  "Alright. Catch you later, then," he finally offered with a smile. Everyone went their way, and I waved goodbye.

  Thankfully, everything seemed to be all right with Joey and the guild. I let out a sigh of relief.

  "Now, about Crimson…"

  I hopped back to the spot with a determined smile; that conversation with Joey warmed up my heart just thinking about her. After a thorough scrutiny of the area, I finally spotted her, casually sipping her drink through a straw, while holding another in her other hand.

  My legs picked up speed; as soon as I got closer, I literally jumped at her. She was startled.

  "Woah! Snowflake!"

  The drinks almost fell from her hands. I laughed at that, and gave her a kiss. "I love you."

  "Huh?" She blinked. An unexpected red colored her cheeks while an odd grin adorned her cute face. "Where did this boldness come from?"

  I kissed her again. "Shut up and let me love you while I'm in a good mood."