The blades that had stopped right in front of Serene's face were still humming faintly, as if questioning their master.
Master, are you sure? Why stop?
Master, how about….hehehe. ( „ಡωಡ„ )
Of course, it was only as if.
Because if Serene actually heard that, she would probably go Super Saiyan and start destroying swords on the spot. Well—maybe not all of them. Most likely, she would just destroy the last one that dared to "talk."
Back to reality.
With the battle over, Knox's swords vanished one after another, dissolving into mana as if they had never existed in the first place. Watching the scene, Serene let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Now I understand why Father was so certain I'd lose against him, she thought.
A monster? No… more like a devil.
Her gaze shifted back to Knox.
The "devil" had already returned to his usual self—no pressure, no overwhelming presence. Just a boy standing there with a bright, almost innocent smile. If someone hadn't witnessed the spectacle moments earlier—the countless floating swords, the absolute control of mana—no one would believe that the pretty boy in front of her had been responsible for any of it.
Meanwhile, the winner of the match felt a strange sensation.
Knox's Newtype instinct tingled.
…Hmm?
For some reason, it felt like someone was badmouthing him.
Knox tilted his head slightly, eyes drifting toward Serene. "Why do I feel like you were just thinking something rude~?"
Serene blinked once, then smiled sweetly. "Hehe, must be your imagination~"
Knox's eyes lit up. "Then it must be true!" he said confidently. "My instincts are never wrong."
"…."
Serene could only stare at him.
"Anyway, Serene, how about we continue our tea party?" Knox said with an easy smile.
Serene could only let out a helpless sigh at that. Still, the smile she wore this time was noticeably more genuine than before.
"…Alright," she replied. "Consider it a privilege granted to the winner."
Once they were seated again—and with the desserts neatly refilled by Knox—the conversation resumed.
"So," Knox said casually, already munching on a pastry, "do you have any questions?"
Serene lifted her teacup and took a sip—
Then paused.
Her eyes widened slightly. "…Hm? This tea—"
Knox leaned back in his chair, hands folded behind his head.
"Well, after our little fight, I figured you might be a bit tense," he said. "So I switched it to chamomile. It helps with stress, you know~"
Serene blinked.
For a brief moment, something unfamiliar stirred in her chest. To be precise, it was the strange sensation of being looked after—a feeling that felt distant, yet oddly nostalgic.
Her lips curved into a softer smile. "…Thank you," she said, the words lighter than before.
Then a thought crossed her mind.
Wait. Stress relief? Shouldn't it be something for fatigue instead? Why stress…?
Before she could follow that line of thought any further, Knox interrupted her.
"Hey, you seem to like it," he said brightly. "Here—let me make you a fresh batch."
With that, he casually pulled out a small bundle of dried chamomile leaves from his inventory.
Serene snapped out of her thoughts.
"Thank you~" she said, then tilted her head slightly. "But I still have questions. For example—why are you here?"
Knox smiled. "Well… how about you guess~?"
Serene's brow twitched. "Guess? Then how about you guess what I'm guessing?"
"Hehe, don't get angry, Serene." Knox leaned forward slightly. "See? Your eyebrows do that thing when you're annoyed. If you keep making that face, more wrinkles will show up. That would be tragic for your beauty."
"…."
Then he added, more calmly, "Besides, even if I don't answer, you already know the reason, don't you?"
Serene's expression softened into an amused smile. "Oh? Sounds like someone has quite the high opinion of me~" She nodded lightly. "Yes, you're right."
Her gaze sharpened just a little.
"But…" she continued, "…are you really sure about letting him enter that ruin?"
She rested her chin on her hand. "I mean—why didn't Nefthis allow you to take that 'power' instead?"
"Hm… to be honest," Knox said after a short pause, his gaze drifting as if weighing his thoughts, "whatever's inside that ruin never really interested me in the first place. If anything, it feels like the kind of thing that brings more trouble than benefits."
Serene nodded slowly, understanding his implication. "That makes sense," she said. "Then why did you let him enter the ruin?"
Knox sighed inwardly.
Girl, you really do have a lot of questions.
Outwardly, though, he only smiled.
"Welllll…~"
Serene narrowed her eyes. Realizing he had no intention of answering, she let out a small sigh.
"…Alright. I'll change the question."
She straightened slightly.
"Judging by your timing, it looks like you were already keeping an eye on this place."
Knox nodded. "Yeah. Just in case some foxes… or rats… decided to start digging around the ruins."
Then he tilted his head, eyes glinting with interest.
"But you know, Serene—despite being here, you don't actually look that interested in the ruin itself, or whatever's inside it." He rested his chin on his hand. "So why are you here? Let me guess. You wanted to identify who entered the ruin, then either recruit them… or eliminate them. Am I right?"
Serene's eyes widened slightly.
"…As expected of you," she admitted. "Yes."
She hesitated for a moment, then continued, her voice more measured.
"To be precise—if they can't be recruited, the plan is to seize the Seventh Legion and transfer it to someone within the Ivory Tower who meets the requirements."
Knox let out a low hum, a faint smile forming. "Hoo~ looks like you've decided to be honest, huh?"
Then his smile sharpened—just a little.
"But it also sounds like someone… or maybe some elder…" he said lightly, "…is getting impatient about acquiring that legion, isn't that right?"
Serene stiffened. Her expression didn't change much, but inside—
…This—how does he know that?
Is there a spy within the Ivory Tower?
Her brows furrowed ever so slightly as she stared at Knox, reassessing him once again.
"So," Knox said lightly, glancing at her over the rim of his teacup, "what are you going to do now? I mean—your plan just got thoroughly ruined by me."
Serene chuckled under her breath. "Whether it failed or not," she replied, "I still believe I'm obligated to file a report about what happened here~"
Knox's smile faded. Not completely—but enough.
"Hm," he said, tone noticeably calmer than before. "I don't think you will."
Serene caught the shift immediately. Her eyes widened slightly, interest flickering across her face as she leaned in.
"Oh? And why is that?"
Knox raised a finger, counting casually.
"First," he said, "you're not the type who jumps straight to elimination. You prefer control—or at the very least, turning people to your side."
Serene's expression stiffened, just a little.
"Second," Knox continued, "leaving the one who entered the ruins untouched is actually far more beneficial for you. Any move against them right now would only complicate things."
She didn't interrupt.
"Third…" Knox's smile returned—soft, yet unmistakably sharp.
"The reason you need the one destined to become the Seventh Legion Commander…"
"…this all has something to do with Meilyn, doesn't it~?"
Serene froze.
The earlier surprise in her eyes vanished, replaced by something colder, more guarded.
"…You," she said quietly. "How do you know that?"
Knox tilted his head, amusement dancing at the edge of his gaze.
"Serene," he said gently, almost teasingly, "you don't want Meilyn to know, don't you~?"