… People had gathered in the hall of the old mansion, but with the Altar excluded, fewer than ten remained.0

The others are gone—either dead or they managed to escape, I thought.0

“… They’ve fallen asleep,” Louina said, brushing back her long green hair as she motioned toward the back.2

Epherene, the Chairwoman, and Primien were asleep near the sofa, with Adrienne lying on Epherene’s lap, Epherene leaning against the backrest, and Primien sleeping on the floor.0

“Since when did you two become so close?” Louina asked, a smile tugging at her lips. “Epherene hugged you as if she’d forgotten Yukline was supposed to be terrifying.”1

I shook my head without saying a word.0

"Thanks to the Chairwoman, the rumor will reach every corner now."0

It was humiliating—and it still makes my stomach turn. Right there in front of Adrienne and everyone else, Epherene suddenly wrapped her arms around me and confessed that she'd overheard my conversation with Yulie.3

I was seriously considering punishing Epherene by making her grade papers at the Mage Tower’s Thesis Colloquium or scrub the bathrooms—maybe both.0

“Well, let’s just leave the Chairwoman to her nap, as she will likely not be any help at the moment. I’d slip her a sleeping pill if I had one.”0

This was no place for fairies, and in it, Adrienne couldn’t channel the insight expected of an Archmage. Then again, she was a rare case—someone who had reached the summit with only destruction spells.0

"But do you really think Decalane will come for us?"0

“He will come,” I replied.0

Epherene said Decalane would come when the sun set—that he had something to tell me.0

“But she’s braver than she looks, knowing that not many would dare talk to Decalane like that,” Louina said with a chuckle.0

“Epherene has the talent of an Archmage,” I replied. “Though, at present, she’s far too foolish to realize it.”0

I fell silent for a moment and checked my wrist watch—it was five in the afternoon. It was too early to call it evening, but the sky was already darkening as the eclipse neared.0

“This eclipse will last for about two hours—you have until then to find a way,” Sirio said, and then half of the old mansion sank into the shadow of darkness.0

“Why are you always slipping around when you won’t even offer a single bit of help? And by the way, how did you end up in a cult like that?” Louina asked, her brow furrowing.0

“Haha. A cult? Honestly, I have no idea. But look—over there,” Sirio replied,...0