What exactly trapped Man ihe mind prison?

  A mystery she mulled over, suspis swirling like autumn leaves. “I’ll have to sult Master Vd about it ter. After all, mind spells are his thing,” she murmured, knowing it was the first time she heard it.

  As Burn hoisted her into the carriage, he hummed a tuhat might as well have been a funeral dirge for her curreential crisis. “And what of you? I would’ve thought mind spells were your forte as well.”

  “Well, I’ve put some thought into it,” Man replied, leaning closer. “My mind processes memory with suy precision that it borders on sinister. But as for my true specialty?”

  She shook her head i.

  Burn’s voice held a touch of envy, “So, if infinity isn’t your specialty, that must mean you’re still capable of boundless growth.” He paused. “A’s not fet, you’ve decided it's high time to take care of your physical form and delve into the world of Force Magic.”

  With a teasing voice, he asked, “rompted this sudden ambition, oh lofty madam? You suddenly looked at me and decided ‘yes, today I quer my limitations’.”

  Instantly, a blush crept ontan’s cheeks, transf her usually posed demeanor into a tapestry of mild embarrassment. It was subtle, yet in that moment, she pouted, a look so captivating that eveurdiest mountains would bow before her whimsy, and the very sky would tremble to coax her.

  Holy, when someone like her made such a face, the universe itself might resider its ws.

  “I just… don’t want to die anymore.”

  Burn halted mid-stride, cradling her in his arms. His face remained a bnk ste, but his eyes darkened, a storm brewing behind those calm waters.

  “I won’t let you die again,” Burn stated ftly.

  Ma out a soft chuckle. “Oh, Caliburn, I don’t mind dying for the curse. But I mean—”

  She trailed off, notig the unyielding expression on his face. The same one he wore earlier in the buffet hall, a look that could scare away even the most intrepid of dessert enthusiasts.

  “We are fag uable dangers,” she reminded him. “Dying to reverse time? It’s a small price to pay.”

  “It’s not small to me,” Burn replied, his tone grave.

  “Caliburn, you’re missing the point. This dying and that dying—they’re worlds apart. Right nht now, I don’t want to leave this world. I don’t want to leave you,” Man expined, iing a blend of siy and helplessness. Burn's stoic facade softened, just a fra. “Before, because of my immortality—”

  “You craved death,” Burn interjected, tinuing his steady pace through the academy’s corridors, each step eg a fotten promise. “Now I see why you wish to grow stronger.”

  A woman who, having tasted immortality, now feared the fleeting moments of life. The fleeting moments she shared with him. It was a twisted irony, ohat Burn might never fully uand.

  Leaving the academy grounds, Burn carried her toward the carriage where Yvain had already positioned himself, fnked by ae of important figures: Duke Padparadscha, his wife, Headmaster Bianca, and the ever-somber Marquis Mossflower. Quite the social soiree they had going on.

  “Papa, is Mama alright?” Yvain inquired, his voice a mix of and the i curiosity only children muster. His two friends, Matthew and An, eyed Burn with the caution born from lingering fear.

  “She’s just tired,” Burn replied, as he pced her ihe carriage, c her with a thin b as if coing a fragile butterfly.

  He then turo engage in polite chitchat with the other parents, the ritual of social ies that felt rather simir to a perpetual loop of tiresome small talk.

  After bidding his farewells, he gave Yvain a gentle o the carriage, like shoving a relut soufflé into the oven. The boy g him weirdly.

  Yvain offered a respectful bow to the gathering and waved eically at his friends—who looked equally relieved and horrified at the prospect of being aloh the rather rge and brooding figure of Burn.

  Ohe carriage lurched forward, Yvain couldn’t help but voice his s again, the poor d clearly still anxious. “Is Master Man okay?” he asked, his voice dripping with siy that would have melted even the iciest of hearts.

  Man smiled, that enigmatic smile that ed around her face like a riddle. “Just another loop ing up,” she replied, her tone cheerfully cryptic. As if that expined everything, and nothing at all.

  “You took so long. Is your soul so badly damaged again?” Yvain inquired, the edge of his voice hinting at both and curiosity.

  Man held his gaze, refusing to flinch from the weight of her guilt. It wasn’t her fault that Burn had indulged himself so thhly; after all, some people have nard for moderation. The man himself stared out the carriage window, leaving the sugar-coated chatter to her.

  “It’s not that bad this time,” Man replied softly. “I’ll just die in two or three days.”

  “So… just you, then?” Yvain asked.

  Man couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, we’ll be caught off guard, it seems.”

  She rubbed Yvain’s head, gently succumbing to a daze. From this simple act, Yvain uood that the issue was far more signifit than it appeared on the surface. He frowned, realizing it was time for him to take some rather bold a.

  “Masters, I think I'm going to stay after all," Yvain suddenly decred.

  Man turo Burn, who just g them for a bit. “Yes, Yvain, you stay.”

  Yvain, knowing that they might have anticipated his decision, tinued, "It’s the Vision Resonator. Something’s wrong, and I’ll iigate it. School's starting in two days, so I might as well dive into it. I’m afraid something bad will happen if I don’t do a thh che it before the year starts."

  Man smiled, "The heart wants what it wants. Iigate away, just try not to get yourself killed, alright?"

  Yvain nodded.

  “Thank you, Master,” he said early. He just wao be useful.

  Shifting his gaze to Burn, Yvain grinned. “Master Burn, wouldn’t it be delightful if I had some backup from your delightful work of spies in Inkia?”

  Burn nodded. “Use them as you please. Wilderwood will also lend a hand. In fact, why don’t you take charge of Inkia entirely?”

  Yvain’s eyes widened. “Huh? You’re actually taskih taking over Inkia?” Excitement bubbled up within him, a brief flicker of upheaval.

  “Now you know how to ask for help.I’ll send you members of the round table, sider it a practice, a little pastime if you will, while you navigate the academy. You do it, right?”

  Yvain blinked. So, he must still prioritize his education, and quering Inkia was a little pastime?

  “We’ll handle all the threats from the world beyond. Just focus on gaining roots over the nobles. But don’t let anyone know you are the core of the operation. There’s some suspi that someone dangerous is behind everything here,” Burn said.

  Actually, letting Yvaihe focus of things would be the best course of a right now. With the boy at the helm, and him and Man juggling everything else, surely they could find a cozy little hideaway for him.

  Who would have thought that a mere twelve-year-old could be the mastermind behind quering aire kingdom?

  "How long until you're back?" Yvain inquired, fully aware that the mythical grand assembly would take its sweet time clearing Burn's name from the absurd charges.

  "In two days," Man promptly replied. “Well, fixing my death might take just a day or so longer.”

  Burn slipped into another reverie, trying to piece together the great puzzle in his mind. His father’s death, the enigma of Princess Shorof’s mana poisoning, Yvain’s parents' unfortunate endings, and perhaps eveimely demise of a few iial figures a couple of years ago…

  That was when the carriage suddenly halted violently.

  Then, the an yelled, “Get out of the way!” making Burn and Man stare at each other.

  This hadn’t happened i loop.