The Sword and The Shadow

Innilis wasn't sure what Eirinn said or did once she went in. All she remembered was that it was a really quiet night without wind or snow. Everything was silent. Only the lights in the room remained.

The next day, Leguna walked out with Eirinn. Even though she was almost a high-order priestess, she seemed completely expended by the time she got out. Her face looked pale, however, she still wore a warm smile as Leguna had finally left.

He looked a little worse off than Eirinn with his eyes red and sported some eyebags. It was painfully apparent that he had cried, but he didn't bawl. As a man, he couldn't cry as loudly as someone like Innilis, even when one of his most trusted people betrayed him.

Innilis didn't sleep a wink through the night either, spending all of it waiting outside the room. She hoped Leguna would return to normal, but didn't think it would take them the whole night. When she finally snapped out of her daze, she found the sunlight a little piercing to her eyes.

"Innie, why are you here? Didn't you sleep last night?" Eirinn asked when she saw Innilis's thick eye bags.

"I'm fine," she said with a forced smile.

She was a little unhappy, even now, that Eirinn was the one to put Leguna back together, instead of her. She couldn't figure out how Eirin had done it, and believed it should have been impossible. She was rather frustrated, but not so much that she was jealous of or hated Eirinn. She knew that attitude would get her nowhere. She thought it best to talk to Annelotte or Eirinn about her feelings. It might be awkward, but it was probably the safest method to do so.

Leguna was a little pained by Innilis's worn out state. He hesitated for a moment, then approached her.

"I… Innie…"

"Big Bro Leguna…" Innilis said, avoiding her gaze.

The two of them fell silent after calling each other's names.

Innilis watched them with a curious and gentle gaze. She blew a raspberry from the side and stepped back to give them some space.

The two hung their heads low. After about a minute, Innilis and Leguna apologized at the same time.

"Big Bro, can you forgive me, please?" Innilis said, forcing down tears, "I won't do this again. I won't do anything traitorous again, so…"

Before Innilis finished, Leguna shook his head. She paled, but he pushed ahead, "It's not your fault, Innie. It's mine."

Innilis didn't know what to make of his comment.

"It's over. I've long forgiven you. You don't need to apologize. I was at fault. I was in a really horrible mood--" He took a deep breath to calm himself. "--I shouldn't have vented my frustrations on you. It's my fault and I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

"I…"

Innilis looked down when she finished listening.

"Alright, alright!" Eirinn interrupted when it was about time. She came forward with a smile and patted them both on the back. "Why mull over this so much? Come! We have a lot to do today! We have to see Sis Annie!"

"Yes…"

Leguna felt the atmosphere was a little awkward. He nodded and smiled at Innilis.

"Let's go, Innie. We'll go look for Annie."

"Okay!"

……

"So you're fine now?" Annelotte felt a little relieved seeing Leguna back to normal.

"More or less… Annie, I really have to thank you."

"I helped out cause I happen to be there. Don't overthink this. So, what are you here for today?"

"Wasn't Eirinn the one who called for the meeting? I thought you had something to tell us," Leguna said, scratching his head.

Everyone turned their gazes to her. Eirinn's seductive face revealed a smile. She looked at Innilis and said, "It's no big deal. I recalled that Innie said she had something to show us, so since Big Brother Leguna is back, let's see what it is, Innie!"

Annelotte couldn't help but be amazed by how attentive Eirinn was. She knew that even after Leguna put himself back together, he might still be in a little tense mood, so some good news from Innilis would help brighten him up.

Not only that, while Innilis's matter was put to an end, the tension between them hadn't completely dissipated. Since Leguna did go a little overboard last night, Innilis could really use some encouragement.

Annelotte didn't know when Innilis mentioned it to Eirinn, but she remembered it and made sure to put it to good use. That kind of attentiveness was not too common among other girls her age.

"Oh, right. What were you so excited about yesterday, Innie?" Leguna asked.

"Hmhm!" She puffed her chest out and teased, "Want to know? Maybe I'll tell you if you beg!"

"Alright, fine." He smiled helplessly. "Miss Innie, what good news is it? Please tell me, I'm begging you?"

"What is it?" Annelotte asked curiously. Eirinn stepped forward a little bit. While she didn't say anything, her silver eyes put her curiosity in full display.

"Well…" Innilis nodded with satisfaction. When she was sure the other three's appetites were whetted, she turned to Annelotte and said, "Sis Annie, pay attention!"

"Me? What should I pay attention to?"

"You'll know in a bit!" Innilis winked and waved her hand. "Let's go outside!"

The three met gazes and followed her out.

When they reached the yard, Innilis said, "Alright, watch well!"

"Sure thing." Seeing Innilis so joyful, the three wondered what could have made her so happy.

The next moment, something happened to their complete flabbergastment. Innilis stood there calmly and raised both her hands, swishing them around as she spoke what sounded like an incantation.

A second later, a wave of heat washed over the three. There was a bowl-sized fireball in Innilis's palm.

"This…" Leguna muttered with a wide gape, "T-t-t-this is…!"

Annelotte was the first one to understand. She could tell from Innilis's hand movements.

"You're right…" she said, "It's the most commonly used combat spell, a level-three evocation-type spell, fireball… It's really a fireball…"

"Sis Annie!" Innilis cried when she could no longer maintain the spell.

She flung it in the general direction where she didn't see any people.

Annelotte reacted quickly and instant cast a fireball in the same trajectory.

"Whoa! Annie, what are you doing?!" Leguna shouted.

Innilis's fireball was one thing, but Annelotte was a 17th-stratum magus! Wouldn't her fireball's explosion flatten the whole building?

But things didn't turn out as he imagined. There was no explosion after the collision. Innilis's fireball was cancelled out and left nothing but a trail of smoke in the air.

Leguna realized Annelotte had converted the fire aspect in her fireball into ice aspect with Glacial Conversion. The two opposites cancelled each other out easily under Annelotte's control.

"Don't lecture me on magic!" Annelotte said with a contemptful gaze.

"I'm sorry, my bad…" Annelotte seriously apologized.

Annelotte was taken aback for a moment. It just occurred to her that Leguna wasn't apologizing for what happened just now, but rather for suspecting her. Was he still mulling over that matter?

Her face reddened at the thought, but Leguna was wise enough not to intentionally tease her. He made sure his apology was serious. If she accepted it, it was fine. If she didn't, it would be fine either since he didn't really say what the apology was for.

Caught off guard, Annelotte only nodded and said, "It didn't trouble me much. I… I didn't take it to heart."

"Either way, I still feel really sorry for it," he said seriously, though he was already jumping in joy in his mind. Annelotte finally showed signs of accepting again! Wahahaha!

[So? I was right, wasn't I?] Gahrona said.

[Thanks, Teacher. I really appreciate your nonstop guidance over the past few days,] Leguna said.

[Sigh… Raising a disciple is really hard…]