In the afternoon, within the forest of Roswaal's territory.
Emilia closed her eyes as countless tiny spirits, glowing like drifting motes of fluorescence, circled around her, communicating with her in gentle whispers.
Ever since the events of the Sanctuary three months ago, Emilia had been doing everything she could to contract more minor spirits in order to grow stronger.
It was only after recognizing her own shortcomings that she made this change, deciding she would no longer remain the crybaby at Sister Shendu's side, running to her whenever something happened.
Not far away, the twin maids, Ram and Rem, stood nearby, seemingly guarding Emilia's safety.
"Phew! That's finished. It's time to head back."
After concluding her communication with the minor spirits, Emilia opened her beautiful amethyst eyes and let out a breath of turbid air, thinking to herself.
Just as Emilia was about to leave, a silver-haired girl with sapphire-like eyes, appearing no older than ten, suddenly stepped out from the empty forest ahead.
"Long time no see, daughter of the Witch!"
After appearing so abruptly, the Witch of Vainglory, Pandora, greeted Emilia as though they were old friends who had not met in years.
"Fula!"
"Grand Ice Spear!"
The instant Pandora appeared, Rem and Ram moved at the same time. Wind blades and ice spears shot forward together.
Puchi!
In an instant, the Witch of Vainglory, Pandora, was killed outright. Yet less than three seconds later, a brand-new Pandora appeared once more.
"Be careful, Emilia-sama! She's a Witch from the Witch Cult. We must be cautious."
Gripping her morning star, Rem spoke with a serious expression as she stared at Pandora.
"Lady Shendu told us to stay vigilant against enemies who approach."
Ram stepped in front of Emilia as well, standing shoulder to shoulder with Rem, the two of them watching Pandora warily.
As a legendary Witch—one who possessed the extremely rare authority to rewrite reality—she was not someone who could be dealt with lightly.
"I know!"
Hearing the maids beside her, Emilia nodded, her gaze turning stern.
Before she could summon Puck, a small gray cat appeared before her, floating in midair.
"Lia, this Witch's ability is very unusual. Miss Shendu once told me that if we encounter her, we should avoid prolonged battle and retreat as soon as possible."
Puck's expression was solemn, his eyes filled with intense vigilance.
"There's no need to be so wary of me. I bear no ill will. I won't harm you."
Pandora's cool, delicate face remained serene. Even after having been killed once, she showed not the slightest trace of fear.
"Don't joke with me. Your very presence here is the greatest malice. Give my Mother Fortuna back to me!"
At Pandora's words, Emilia nearly lost control, anger surging within her for the first time in her life.
As her voice fell, countless ice spears pierced Pandora like a sieve. She collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
However, they had still underestimated Pandora's terrifying power. Just as they let out a breath of relief, she reappeared once again, completely unharmed.
Not only that, she began walking toward them slowly, causing a flicker of panic to surface in Ram and Rem's hearts.
"Run, Emilia-sama! We'll hold her off. Go find Lady Shendu—she should have a way to deal with this."
Seeing Pandora charge directly toward them, the twin maids grew visibly tense.
They immediately cast their magic again. Even after killing Pandora once more, she restored herself yet again through her authority.
Such an absurd ability left the two maids stunned, disbelief filling their eyes.
"Understood. Be careful."
Now that she had grown, Emilia knew just how troublesome the Witch of Vainglory was. She did not act recklessly. Instead, she decisively turned and fled.
At the sight of this, Pandora's expression shifted slightly as she sighed faintly.
"After all these years, that little girl has truly grown."
Glancing at the retreating Emilia, Pandora showed no urgency and slowly walked toward the two maids instead.
"As Emilia's maids, you have done well. But now—sleep for a while."
With a gentle wave of her hand, an overwhelming wave of exhaustion swept over Ram and Rem. Their bodies lost strength, slipping beyond their control.
"Damn it... what's happening?"
"My whole body feels drained... I can't gather any strength."
Overcome by intense fatigue, the twin maids struggled unwillingly to stand, only to find it utterly futile.
"It's useless. I've altered your mental state—it's equivalent to going three days and three nights without sleep."
Pandora raised three fingers as she explained. The moment she finished speaking, Ram and Rem collapsed onto the ground, falling into deep slumber.
This was not death—merely one application of Pandora's unique authority.
After resolving the nuisance of the twin maids, Pandora's figure flickered, and she appeared directly before Emilia, blocking her path.
"According to the Gospel's guidance, your contracted spirit should be falling into slumber at this very moment. He should not still be active."
After stopping Emilia, Pandora spoke words that left her startled.
"What Gospel? It doesn't even exist! I will never allow you to harm Puck!"
Blocked in her path, Emilia's anger surged again. With a wave of her hand, countless ice blades erupted, killing Pandora once more—yet she reappeared completely unharmed.
"It's useless. My authority is special. You cannot kill me."
Pandora spoke without pride or arrogance, her expression utterly blank.
Despite being killed repeatedly, she showed no anger. After Puck eliminated her several times, the Witch of Vainglory appeared directly before him.
"Artificial Great Spirit, fall into slumber now."
"Aside from high-purity magic crystals, no method can awaken you."
Standing close to Puck, Pandora allowed him to attack freely before restoring herself once again.
After speaking, she raised her hand, and a beam of golden light emerged from her palm.
Whoosh!
The beam struck Puck. In an instant, the Great Spirit's body stiffened as the power of her authority took hold. The contract magic stone emitted a powerful suction force, pulling him toward it.
"Lia, while I'm gone, rely on Miss Shendu. She will definitely help you."
As the pull intensified, Puck managed to say only that before being completely drawn into the contract magic stone, falling into a deep slumber.
"Damn you... what is all of this for? Why must Puck be forced into slumber?"
Emilia was furious, yet she did not attack Pandora. Knowing her current strength was utterly ineffective against her, she could only question her coldly.
"Everything follows the Gospel's guidance. Since events have deviated somewhat from the expected course, they must be corrected."
Pandora declared firmly. After giving Emilia a long look, she continued, "We will meet again in the future. I hope to see you grow even further by then."
Having completed her task, Pandora vanished.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Emilia did not dare delay. She hurried back to the mansion, asking Elsa and Frederica to bring Ram and Rem inside.
Afterward, without pausing for even a moment, she rushed toward the place where Shendu was training Natsuki Subaru. The moment she saw Shendu's figure, she ran over immediately.
"Sister Shendu, something terrible has happened!"
As Emilia's voice rang out, the smiles on the faces of Shendu, Natsuki Subaru, and Beatrice vanished at once, replaced by solemn expressions.
"What happened?"
Shendu looked toward Emilia thoughtfully and asked.
"The Witch of Vainglory forced Puck into slumber and then left."
After Emilia finished explaining, Shendu suddenly recalled the original course of events—Puck had once fallen into slumber due to excessive mana consumption.
She had not expected that even after making certain changes, events would still drift back toward their original trajectory.
It was both beyond her expectations and yet, in a way, entirely within reason.
...
One month later, within the forest of Roswaal's territory.
As usual, Emilia finished communicating with the minor spirits. Afterward, she gently touched the crystal hanging at her neck, a trace of longing appearing on her face.
"Puck... when will you finally wake up?"
Emilia's expression was filled with helplessness. Ever since Pandora's last attack, Puck had remained in deep slumber. No matter what they tried, the little cat could not be awakened.
Ordinary methods were naturally useless. Shendu had even considered directly breaking the restriction Pandora had placed in order to rescue him.
But doing so carried risks. It could very well damage Puck's soul. In the end, Emilia gave up on the idea of having Shendu forcibly shatter the seal.
"Yo, Emilia. Why are you still looking so sentimental? Are you still upset about Puck?"
While Emilia's mood was clearly off, Shendu walked over with a smile, teasing the half-elf gently.
"Yes. We still haven't found a high-purity magic crystal, so Puck can't be awakened."
Emilia sounded increasingly helpless, her tone heavy with frustration.
"Don't worry. Things will work themselves out when the time comes. Everything will get better."
Shendu pulled Emilia into her arms and patted her back. Only then did the girl's tense heart gradually calm down.
Ahem!
Just as the two were sharing a quiet moment, a cute little cough sounded from behind them. When they turned around, the sweet and adorable elf girl, Beatrice, was standing there.
"Big Sister, you're playing favorites. I want a hug too."
Beatrice complained, looking at Emilia with open envy—and just a hint of jealousy.
An elf who had gone four hundred years without affection, she had grown especially close to Shendu ever since forming a contract with her.
She often clung to her for cuddles, and even nighttime sneak attacks were a common occurrence.
"Don't cause trouble, Beatrice. I'll make it up to you tonight. Right now, Emilia needs comfort more."
Shendu shot her a glance and spoke flatly, offering a simple explanation.
"Okay!"
The elf girl, who had puffed out her cheeks in childish irritation, instantly brightened.
"By the way, Big Sister, a guest is about to visit Roswaal's mansion. I heard it's an envoy from Anastasia's faction."
Suddenly, Beatrice seemed to remember something. She put away her smile and looked at Shendu and Emilia with a strange expression.
"Huh? Was there any prior notice?"
Shendu looked puzzled, finding it somewhat inexplicable. Emilia was equally confused—they hadn't received any message beforehand.
"No. It's a sudden visit. A carrier pigeon only notified us when they were nearly at the territory."
Beatrice thought for a moment before briefly explaining what she knew.
"Oh? Interesting. Then let's go see what Anastasia's envoy wants with us."
"A sudden visit... how strange."
A playful smile tugged at Shendu's lips, while Emilia's face showed confusion and surprise.
Given the hostile relationship between the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild and the Hoshin Company, it was hardly reasonable for the other side to send an envoy out of goodwill.
Afterward, the three of them followed the forest path and returned to the mansion in just a few minutes.
Upon arriving at the entrance, they saw a dragon carriage parked in the open space. It was lavishly decorated, indicating that the so-called envoy had already arrived. Rem was waiting there as well.
"Lady Shendu, Anastasia's envoy is already inside."
"Mm. Let's go take a look."
Shendu nodded and walked in.
Before long, they reached the doorway of the reception hall. A strange demi-human girl appeared before Shendu and Emilia.
She had orange hair, wore a white mage's robe, and had upright cat ears and a long orange tail. She was even smaller than Beatrice.
She was extraordinarily cute, the kind that made one want to scoop her up into an embrace. The most immediate impression she gave could be summed up in a single word—adorable.
"So you're the legendary Silver-Haired Hero, Shendu?"
The petite cat-eared girl examined Shendu carefully, as though assessing whether she truly deserved her reputation.
"Yes. And you are?"
Shendu narrowed her eyes. The girl seemed somewhat familiar, yet she couldn't recall who she was.
"Mimi Pearlbaton, Vice Captain of the mercenary group under the Hoshin Company!"
The demi-human girl named Mimi swished her tail as she introduced herself elegantly.
Ever since Shendu had directly driven the Hoshin Company's forces out of Lugunica, their influence there had collapsed. The company had no choice but to retreat to its headquarters in the western nation of Kararagi, not daring to expand outward again.
Meanwhile, over the past four months, the Divine Dragon Merchant Guild under Shendu had spread its influence throughout other kingdoms, building ties with various powers. Its growth had long since surpassed that of the Hoshin Company.
"Haha, you're really cute."
Seeing how adorable the cat-eared girl was, Shendu stepped forward, picked her up, and gently stroked her ears.
"You're strong. Mimi can feel it."
Resting in Shendu's arms, Mimi sensed her power and couldn't help but speak in surprise.
"Alright, let's go inside."
After indulging in petting the cat girl for a moment, Shendu carried Mimi and lightly pushed the door open.
Inside, aside from Roswaal—currently portrayed by Geuse—there was also a young man with long purple hair, wearing a monocle, exuding a scholarly aura.
"It is an honor to meet you, Lady Emilia and Lady Shendu. I have come as an envoy of Lady Anastasia Hoshin. My name is Joshua Juukulius."
The purple-haired young man performed a gentlemanly bow and spoke respectfully.
"The pleasure is mine as well. What a fine name—Joshua... Juukulius!"
Emilia placed her hands together and performed a proper noble greeting, her bearing graceful and refined.
"Miss Shendu, as expected, you are as mysterious and powerful as the legends say. Just as my elder brother described. He even said he couldn't defeat your maid."
Joshua's sharp gaze studied Shendu, whose expression remained calm, as if trying to determine whether this Silver-Haired Hero truly matched the rumors.
"Oh? I appreciate your brother's praise. We haven't seen each other in quite some time."
Shendu looked at the purple-haired, golden-eyed young man with a faint smile that was not quite a smile.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Shendu and Emilia took their seats. Shendu gently set Mimi down. Geuse narrowed his eyes, quietly observing everything.
As Shendu's contracted spirit, Beatrice climbed onto her lap, wrapping both arms around one of Shendu's and leaning comfortably against her chest.
"It is said that Miss Shendu fought the White Whale alone, annihilated the Great Rabbit alongside her contracted spirit, and even eliminated a Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult. Seeing you today, you are indeed extraordinary."
Joshua adjusted his monocle, studying Shendu carefully before glancing at Beatrice beside her.
"This must be your contracted spirit—the humanoid spirit. Truly remarkable."
"Miss Shendu can likely be called the world's one and only Spirit Knight. It is most admirable."
After examining Beatrice, Joshua's eyes flickered as he offered further praise.
"Hmph. I am Big Sister's contracted spirit. Of course that goes without saying."
Hearing Joshua's words, Beatrice puffed out her cheeks in childish pride, looking rather adorable.
"Alright, Beatrice. We have guests. Don't misbehave."
Shendu pinched the elf girl's cheek gently, her tone faintly indulgent.
"Yes, Big Sister."
Beatrice obediently leaned back, shifting into a more comfortable position in Shendu's arms.
"Now then, Mr. Joshua, what is your purpose in coming here? You may speak frankly."
Ending the light conversation, Shendu looked at Joshua seriously and got straight to the point.
Hearing her words, Joshua nodded, his expression turning solemn. Everyone present held their breath, ready to hear the true purpose of his visit.