Chapter 272

Chapter 272. Formation of the Rescue Team

He ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍still had nightmares.

[I ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍thought you might abandon your homeland, but not our pride. What you're saying now is no different from saying you'll sell your body.]

[…There's ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍no getting through to you.]

[Even ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍if I know, why should I tell you? We're enemies now.]

Messenger ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Paras tossed and turned in bed, remembering the words he had spoken in the past.

Now, ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍no matter how much he wanted to forget them, they kept returning.

Whenever he saw the cat she had liked, or she appeared without warning in a dream, his thoughts found another path back to her.

“…Why did I do that? Why did I say such cruel things….?”

Deep regret filled him to the marrow of his bones, chilling his body. He had felt a cold like this only once before in his life.

It was when he went to the East as a messenger for the Family Head of Wisdom, a Great Family of the West.

As he had then, he felt so cold that he burrowed under the covers, yet the emptiness in his chest still filled with a chill.

He felt as though he could do anything to drive that cold out and warm himself.

“Josephine…. I want to apologize to you. Can I? Will I ever have the chance?”

He murmured the same questions from sunrise to sunset.

Except when he was flying on an assignment for the family, his shoulders, weighed down by regret, never straightened.

Then people whose own flesh and blood was in trouble came to the messenger's residence.

“F-First Daughter…! Th-the Third Son, too….”

Startled by the appearance of faces he had never expected to see, the messenger nevertheless went down on one knee.

Fickle as people were, he now tried to deny the regrets he had been voicing only moments earlier.

‘D-did they hear me?’

Josephine Blue Wisdom had abandoned her family and gone to the East. She was a traitor among traitors.

To show any feeling toward such a traitor other than anger, let alone say that he wanted her forgiveness, was unthinkable.

That would be the quickest way to become another traitor himself.

So cold sweat ran down Messenger Paras's body as he knelt close to the floor. But then—

“Messenger. Get up.”

What these unexpected visitors said was just as unexpected.

“Help us rescue Pia from Sky Island.”

“…Pardon?”

“Even if we travel by land as far as the ground beneath Sky Island, I'd like you to turn into a wyvern and carry us up to it. This isn't an order. I'm asking you.”

“……Pardon?”

Did I hear that wrong?

Messenger Paras kept asking her to repeat herself, while the First Daughter had never had a request refused in her life.

Between the two, Ryan, the Third Son, sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead.

“I'll explain everything now. Can we come in?”

“…One moment. Did you just say you're going to Sky Island? And that this is a mission to rescue the Second Daughter?”

“Yes.”

Sky Island. It had become the base of Millesdusk's vanguard, a legion of direct blood relatives.

In other words, Josephine was very likely to be there, too.

Messenger Paras hesitated no longer.

“I'll go.”

“…You really will?”

The Third Son blinked. He had planned to persuade Paras first, coax him if necessary, and, if that failed, use his position as a direct blood relative to force the matter.

“See, Ryan? I told you on the way here. My requests always work.”

“That's… true. We'll leave that aside for now. Paras, the journey we're about to take won't be safe at all. We won't have any support, inside or out.”

Still on one knee, the family's messenger spoke with a firm gaze.

“This is for a member of the family's bloodline and for the family itself. Whether the highest mountain or the longest river lies before me, I will walk onward.”

“Messenger….”

The First Daughter seemed moved, her eyes growing faintly moist. The Third Son, too, nodded at such loyalty.

For Messenger Paras, though, it was a calculated political move.

‘I need to show my loyalty to the family now. Then, even if I slip away from the group later to meet Josephine and come back, they won't suspect me too much. I have to bow when I can.’

Unaware of Paras's thoughts, the Western blood relatives helped him to his feet.

“Thank you, Messenger. I think you'll be a great help.”

“Once the rescue mission is over, your loyalty will be rewarded so generously that you'll consider it excessive.”

“I'm only doing my duty.”

The rescue team, hastily assembled for their separate aims and purposes, left the West.

***

The Elder of the Western dragons, who had said she was going for a walk, came to the Magic Tower.

A slightly cold mist reached the 101st floor. There, before the man who sat alone, almost painfully so—the Family Head of Wisdom—the silver-haired dragon appeared.

“Page. Your children left Majia with another human.”

“…I know, Elder Arasil.”

“Of course you do. There is no way you would not have known. But why are you angry?”

“…….”

“Is it because they left on their own without your permission?”

Arasil approached the dark blue glass throne where Family Head Page sat.

He replied curtly.

“In times like these, there are any number of things to be angry about. You need not jump to conclusions.”

“Ha ha.”

Her laugh was clear as the Western sky, unlike the blue-black room. Then she told him why she had come.

“I saw a future in which the human they call the Fifth Son advances all the way to Majia within a year.”

Page fell silent for a moment, then laughed in a low voice.

“…You came to see me after so long, and I thought you might offer some kind words. I did not expect such wonderful news.”

“I wish you would not take it that way. I want Wisdom to endure. The dragons and humans of the West make up for what each other lacks, do they not?”

“The price is a little steep by human standards. Still, I am grateful for your help every time.”

There was not the slightest trace of gratitude on his face as he said it.

Then again, few things were as pointless as trying to read any other emotion on the face of Wisdom's Family Head.

The higher a pure mage climbed through the Circles, the more tightly he bound himself within the most perfect framework.

He did not try to break out of it. He merely created a new framework, then made it still more perfect.

The way each mage built that framework differed.

Page, for his part, had decided early on to discard most emotions, which directly affected mana.

Arasil smiled bitterly and continued.

“Is the 9th Circle still out of sight?”

“…Completely.”

Eight rings revolved within Page's Core as he answered.

Only one remained. According to legend, that final Circle was the realm of dragons.

It was a realm said to have been reached only by the founding Family Head. Its name was the 9th Circle.

“That is a shame. I thought you might reach it.”

“Cos can. That child, Cos, will reach it without fail someday. Without fail.”

“Yes. I believe so too.”

“That will be the moment Wisdom rises higher than ever.”

The Magic Tower Master's throne was made of dark blue glass, reflecting the faint lights on the 101st floor in many directions.

Even if Millesdusk set foot in Majia now. Even if they brought down this throne and the entire tower. Even if the West fell into Millesdusk's hands.

“As long as Cos lives, Wisdom can always rise again and soar to heights it has never reached. So, Elder…”

An emotion he had never quite managed to discard surfaced on the face of the 8th Circle mage who had cast away nearly all the others.

“You must protect Cos, not me.”

Paternal love. His eyes conveyed an aching paternal love directed toward only one of his children.

Arasil could only nod.

“All right.”

“Thank you.”

The conversation did not resume at once after her answer and his thanks. After a silence that flowed as naturally as water, Page's eyes turned impassive again, and he spoke.

“Was telling me the future you foresaw the only reason for your visit?”

“Yes. I also wanted to tell you not to expend too much strength retaking Sky Island.”

“I know that if I must face the Family Head of Millesdusk, fighting here in Majia will give me a far greater advantage. I will hold my position, so do not worry.”

“I know you can manage your own affairs. Even so, I cannot take this war lightly.”

“The fact that you came all the way to the Magic Tower tells me how concerned you are. Even I can see that this is not the Millesdusk of old.”

Recently, Arasil had come to understand why they were different.

“The Fifth Son of Millesdusk.”

“Are you going to talk about that chick too, Elder?”

“Over the years, I have given countless pieces of advice to the Family Heads of the West. Wisdom has prospered and held off decline by following my advice.”

“…I am listening.”

Arasil smiled faintly.

“I have not reached a firm conclusion myself yet, but if you must set a priority for what comes next, I believe he should come first.”

Page's request a moment ago had solidified that belief.

“Just as you would trade your life to protect Cos, the future of your family, I suspect the Fifth Son means the same to the Family Head of Millesdusk.”

“The course of the war would change considerably if the Fifth Son were gone.”

“Millesdusk would sway like a building that had lost a great pillar.”

Page had already reached for the Fifth Son from the shadows and in the open, trying to eliminate him, but each attempt had failed to reach him.

The result had been war, and the occupation of Sky Island.

The Fifth Son of Millesdusk had woven his successes together with his opponents' failures and skipped several steps up the staircase at once.

Even if all of Millesdusk's younger blood relatives and elders came together, their presence would not match that of the Fifth Son alone.

At least, that was how it felt in the West.

“But Wisdom must conserve its strength from now on if we are to prepare for the future you foresaw.”

As Page spoke, his eyes turned toward Arasil. She knew what that look was asking, but she took a step back.

“I am sorry. The promise and contract I made with Wisdom's founding Family Head do not extend that far.”

“…It is about time we signed a new contract.”

“You know very well that we cannot.”

Page fell silent. Dragons intervened, yet they also stood by and watched. Their power rested on that uncertain boundary.

“We sometimes fight on Wisdom's behalf, but that does not mean we belong to Wisdom.”

“I know. I know that too.”

“I am sorry to put it so coldly. Still, please know that we are doing all we can.”

“Yes. Of course.”

In that brief answer, Arasil could sense the many worries he kept behind it. So she added a few words.

“Try trusting your children. You and your wife did not have only one child. At least appear in Pia's dream and comfort her.”

“I have only one child. And I do not want to hear about someone who is already dead anymore.”

“…Take care of yourself.”

Arasil became the cold mist in which she had arrived and vanished.

She was gone, but the words she had left behind remained in the Family Head's mind even longer.

You have more than one child. He knew that, but it did not change the fact that he had lived with his eyes on only one.

He also knew that the other two had struggled desperately to catch his eye and had been angry with themselves.

Nor did it change the fact that he had ignored them. Yet it did not change the fact that he had three children, either.

“…….”

On the dark blue glass throne on the Magic Tower's 101st floor, Page closed his eyes.

And so he appeared in his second daughter's dream.

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