[not gonna lie to y'all this book be all over the place but I got at least 10 chapters ready so be expect them soon]
No one wanted to talk about what happened that day.
Not a single soul.
Were they forced into silence?
Nope. That wide-eyed awe on their faces didn't look like fear. Even Hazekawa Riri brushed off the question with a grin that screamed "Ask again and I'll kill you," which—knowing her—was probably half-joking. Probably.
If anything, it seemed like they were guarding a treasure.
"That was… the true power of the Holy Spear," Gray murmured, sitting on the couch with Add's cage nestled in her arms. Her eyes were distant, lost in the memory of that light she saw while clinging to Cyd's back.
She had wielded the spear before—more than once, even. But what Cyd unleashed? Hers might as well have been a candle in a hurricane.
The light hadn't been blinding. It was warm. Comforting, even. Even under Faker's control, her hand had reached toward it like a flower to the sun.
"Don't stress about it, Gray." Add flopped around in his cage, surprisingly gentle for once. "That guy just danced around a few restrictions using the concept of 13 Olympian's and his own as a walking miracle to do it. You, though—you've got the right to use the spear properly. The official way."
"No need to rush," Lord El-Melloi II added, setting aside a stack of paperwork. "That kind of power doesn't come from forcing it. You're doing fine."
His eyes drifted to a photo on the desk—one taken after the mystery on the Rail Zeppelin had finally unraveled. There'd been a gamble involved, sure, but he'd pulled it off. Only downside? It dredged up a cold case involving a certain priest.
Caleb.
Waver pinched the bridge of his nose. His head was pounding.
Caleb had no memory of the crime, but after using his Mystic Eyes, the truth had bled through: he'd been the one who killed Theresa.
And yet… he wasn't the villain.
His eyes weren't just any Mystic Eyes—they were genuine Gem-level Past Sight, capable of pulling history out of the air like vapor from a dream. But the moment he'd murdered her, he was under Hartless's spell. A tool. A victim.
So now what?
The Clock Tower wanted him. The Church wouldn't let him go. Caleb had value—dangerous value. And on top of that, Olga Marie had found Theresa's final message. Late, yes, but it hit her hard. She didn't cry. Just trembled quietly, holding her mother's severed head.
"I'm volunteering to hand over the eyes to Olga Marie," Waver muttered as he signed the last document. "To make that call after learning they're Gem-grade… Honestly? The guy deserves respect."
"By the way, Professor," Gray asked, tilting her head. "Where did Cyd go? I haven't seen him today."
"He's gone," Waver said with a soft sigh. "Well, left is more accurate."
After the train incident, he'd gone digging into the records on the Greek gods—just like he said he would. And what he found? A gap. A blank period where the gods just… vanished. Then suddenly, they reappeared like nothing happened.
Cyd had seen that and just nodded, like it confirmed everything.
Then he left.
Luvia nearly kicked a hole in the wall when she found out.
"Why would you waste a power like that?!"
She didn't need to say more. Waver knew what she meant.
Melvin, on the other hand, had just laughed and extended Cyd's debt indefinitely.
"Honestly, I should cancel the debt completely… but then who'd go off on crazy adventures for my amusement? Nah, this is better."
"Still…" Gray whispered, her voice low. "He's… a good person."
To her, Cyd was one of the few people who made the world feel less terrifying.
"Oh—and your hair," Waver suddenly said, eyeing the braid peeking from under her hood. "New style?"
"Yeah," Gray smiled, fingers brushing her braid with a light blush on her cheeks. "It…feels… comforting."
"Heroes really are weird," Waver said with a stretch. He glanced at the cabinet that held sacred relics.
Maybe it's time I started moving again, too… King.
Meanwhile…
"Let's make one thing very clear," Olga Marie said, legs crossed, glaring at the young man across from her. "Just because you helped me out once doesn't mean I'm cutting corners for you!"
Cyd, for his part, barely looked away from the airship window. "Mhm. Yep. You're amazing, Little Marie."
"Don't call me that!"
She practically launched herself over the table at him.
"Easy, easy," Cyd caught her mid-pounce and held her up like a cat. "Little Marie's the strongest girl I know."
"Sh-shut up!" she yelled, swinging her fists wildly—but her arms were too short to reach his face.
"But if you ever need help," he added with a soft smile, "you can count on me."
"N-no one's counting on you!" she huffed, face bright red. "You can't just charm me and expect special treatment! Chaldea only accepts the best."
"Exactly why I'm asking you for help, Little Marie~"
"HEY I DESERVE SOMETHING CALLED RESPECT. LEARN IT."
By the time she was about to lob a magic blast at his head, they'd arrived.
"Ahem!" Olga Marie straightened her wrinkled clothes and stepped forward dramatically. "Welcome to Chaldea."
WHAP.
Cyd ruffled her hair and looked around. "Nice place you've got here."
"Stop doing that!" she shouted. But eventually she gave up and led him down a pristine hallway.
"Just so we're clear," she said, stopping in front of a door. "I might be the Director's daughter, but I can't exactly sneak you in… so… I pulled a few strings. You're in as a janitor."
Cyd blinked.
"A janitor?" he echoed.
The mighty, gleaming, holy-lance-wielding Hero of Justice… was going to mop floors?
"If it bothers you, I—"
"Little Marie, that's perfect!" Cyd slapped her shoulder with both hands.
"Wha—?! You're okay with this?!"
He grinned. "It's the best way to see everything without being noticed. I'll be like a ninja. With a mop."
Most mages had their pride. They wouldn't talk to janitors, let alone let them near their work. That was fine by him.
In fact, it was ideal.
Let them ignore him.
He had work to do.