The treasury was sealed with Clover's crest, Mimosa finishing the last inscriptions on the barrier walls while Klaus triple-checked the lock. The dungeon groaned like it knew its secrets were being stolen, but eventually the glow dimmed, the magic circle pulsed, and it was shut tight.
They left together, silence heavy between them. Mars and Lotus had already vanished into the horizon, their retreating presence just another problem for later. For now, only the Clover squad walked out alive.
Zura kept his hands in his pockets, head tilted back as the cavern air shifted into open sky. His mind wasn't on the dungeon anymore—it was on what was tucked inside his grimoire. The Demon-Dweller Sword's weight pressed faintly against his soul, like a constant reminder. And Sylph… that little spirit had touched his forehead and vanished, but the glow in his grimoire proved she hadn't been a hallucination.
'If I'm smart, I keep my mouth shut. Sword, spirit—it's too much too fast. Julius would dissect me with questions I don't wanna answer.'
But his eyes flicked toward Klaus, Mimosa, then Sekke trudging behind them. They'd all seen Sylph appear. Even if she only flickered for a moment, there was no denying it. They weren't gonna just pretend it didn't happen. And if he said nothing, someone else would.
He sighed under his breath. 'Guess this isn't something I can sweep under the rug. I'll have to report it to Julius myself, before Klaus or Mimosa do. At least then I control the story.'
Sekke broke the silence first, arms flailing dramatically. "I still can't believe it! Why the hell do you get a spirit and a sword, and I just get… me?! It's criminal!"
But his eyes flicked toward Klaus, Mimosa, then Sekke trudging behind them. They'd all seen Sylph appear. Even if she only flickered for a moment, there was no denying it. They weren't gonna just pretend it didn't happen. And if he said nothing, someone else would.
He sighed under his breath. Guess this isn't something I can sweep under the rug. I'll have to report it to Julius myself, before Klaus or Mimosa do. At least then I control the story.
Sekke broke the silence first, arms flailing dramatically. "I still can't believe it! Why the hell do you get a spirit and a sword, and I just get… me?! It's criminal!"
Mimosa, calm as ever, murmured, "It really is fate. Zura, you must understand how rare this is. No one can ignore this."
Klaus nodded, grim. "The Wizard King will demand an audience immediately. Prepare yourself, Zura. There's no way out of this."
Zura gave a half-smirk, masking his unease. "Yeah, yeah. Guess I'll deal with it when we're back in the capital."
By the time they were clear of the dungeon's grounds, everyone's mana reserves had trickled back enough for some flair. Klaus, ever the proud noble, couldn't resist showing off.
"Stand aside," he declared, snapping his grimoire open with the smug precision of a man about to reveal his masterpiece. From the glowing script, steel surged outward, twisting and shaping into a gleaming carriage with reinforced wheels and sharpened edges—less transport, more armored chariot.
Mimosa clapped politely. "That's wonderful, Klaus."
Sekke's jaw dropped. "H-Hey, why don't I get to ride in style like that when I'm out alone?! My magic's way flashier than this rust-bucket! Bronze is cooler than steel anyway!"
Klaus pushed up his glasses, eyes narrowing. "Bronze? Don't compare your gaudy scraps to royal craftsmanship. Steel is strength, endurance, elegance. Yours is… tin decoration."
"Whaaat?! Bronze is luxury metal!" Sekke cried, flailing his arms.
Zura leaned back in the chariot, already sprawled across the seat like he owned the thing. "Man, this is comfy. Go ahead, Sekke—make a bronze tricycle and ride behind us. Maybe you'll catch up."
Mimosa stifled a laugh behind her hand, and Sekke sulked, grumbling under his breath about "ungrateful peasants."
The trip rolled on with wind at their backs, laughter cutting through the exhaustion. Even Mars' near-death battle already felt like a lifetime away.
But once the capital's spires came into view, the mood sobered. The Clover Kingdom stretched before them in all its pristine glory, banners flapping above the Wizard King's towering citadel.
They dismounted at the gates and were escorted straight through the bustling streets, guards saluting their group as if sensing the weight of what they carried back.
Inside the citadel's great hall, Julius Novachrono sat waiting, his youthful eyes gleaming with curiosity more than authority. Documents and odd trinkets cluttered the table beside him, but he pushed them aside the moment he saw them.
"You've returned," Julius said with that unshakable smile. "And alive, no less. I hear the dungeon had more secrets than we thought."
Klaus stepped forward, bowing. "Yes, sir. We secured its treasures, placed barriers, and eliminated threats. However…" He hesitated, then glanced back at Zura. "There were… anomalies."
Julius leaned forward, interest piqued. "Oh?"
The weight of every eye fell on Zura. The Demon-Dweller Sword pulsed faintly from inside his grimoire, and Sylph's fleeting glow still lingered in his memory. No jokes, no deflections—this was the part he couldn't dodge.
Zura exhaled and stepped forward. "Yeah. About those… guess we should talk."
The door shut behind Klaus, Mimosa, and Sekke with a heavy thunk, leaving only Zura and Julius in the wide, sunlit chamber. The silence stretched, broken only by the faint scratching of quills from the next room. Julius didn't speak right away. He just leaned back in his chair, chin resting on his hand, eyes gleaming with the kind of curiosity that made Zura feel like he was under a microscope.
Zura shoved his hands in his pockets and muttered, "Guess there's no point in sugarcoating. You already know, don't you?"
Julius smiled, tilting his head. "Hmm. I have a feeling. But I'd like to hear it from you."
"Well, fine. I am not sure if this will work, but I will try." Zura pulled out his grimoire.