Tears walked through the stone corridors, lost in thought.

  Distorted memories rose like illusions.

  A child crying beside a motionless body on a bed.

  Herself—small, fragile, drowning in endless tears.

  Her father dead.

  The end of childhood.

  She shook off the memory and stopped before Stingara’s chamber door.

  She opened it without knocking.

  “Could you at least knock first?” Stingara grumbled, frowning.

  Tears smiled theatrically.

  “You summoned me. And clearly not because you like me. What do you want?”

  “Can you shut up for a moment, Tears?” Stingara shot back, dry and sharp. “You talk too much. Marrying you is definitely out of the question.”

  Tears laughed, tilting her head.

  “Always so direct.”

  Stingara stood, posture firm.

  “I hate when you look at me like that… like you want to devour me. It’s irritating.”

  “Insulting me won’t hurt my feelings. So, what do you want?”

  Stingara raised her hand and pointed to the wall.

  A poster was pinned there.

  Tears turned her head.

  “Souta Kihara?”

  “That’s right. I want you to find him. I know you let him escape.”

  Tears stuttered.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “How…?”

  “Your injuries. The cuts, the burns… identical to the ones caused by his magic. Yesterday at dinner, I noticed. You were nervous.”

  Tears smiled, but her eyes hardened.

  “So now you’re spying on me? Souta escaped, that’s all I know. He’s clever, knows how to hide. But… I can look for him.”

  Stingara smirked faintly.

  Tears narrowed her eyes.

  “Why are you smiling?”

  Stingara looked around, as if searching for a lost memory.

  “You’re different from when I first met you. You used to cry all the time. Now you’re a wolf who never cries. Never loses, never surrenders. Yet you let a janitor who fights with a spoon slip away.”

  Tears huffed.

  “Putting it like that makes me sound like an idiot.”

  “Relax. My focus isn’t getting Meliora back. It’s capturing Souta Kihara.”

  Tears turned and walked toward the door.

  Stingara watched her leave, smiling.

  “Souta Kihara… let’s play this game.”

  Village of Melcrys

  Small, known for its bakeries and sweets made with crystallized honey.

  The sweet scent filled the air.

  Souta, Meliora, and Pikonota walked down the main street.

  “Mr. Kihara!” Meliora beamed. “Look at all the candy shops!”

  Souta sighed.

  “Princess, we can’t spend everything on desserts.”

  Pikonota was already chewing on three honey breads.

  “Too late, Mr. Spoon. I already bought them!”

  Souta frowned.

  “I told you not to spend money, Pukonota.”

  “But I paid with YOUR money,” she replied proudly.

  Meliora giggled softly.

  “Mr. Kihara, let her be. She looks happy.”

  Souta crossed his arms.

  “This dragonoid is going to bankrupt me.”

  Suddenly, a group of children ran up to them.

  “Sir, sir! Can you help us?”

  “What is it now?” Souta raised an eyebrow.

  “A magic boar is destroying the honey fields!”

  Meliora looked at Souta.

  “Let’s help them.”

  Souta sighed.

  “Fine… but only because I don’t want to lose my honey bread.”

  The boar appeared minutes later.

  Huge.

  Horns coated in crystallized honey, wild eyes blazing.

  Pikonota charged forward.

  “Ice Scythe!”

  The boar dodged—far too fast.

  Souta raised his spoon.

  “Swamp Spoon: Distortion of Laments!”

  A dark wave swallowed the boar.

  It crumbled into dust.

  The children applauded.

  Meliora smiled.

  “See, Souta? It’s not always about money.”

  Souta grumbled, putting the spoon away.

  “I still want my honey bread.”