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“Mr. Mintark, do you have a moment?”
“Oh, Lady Momose. What brings you here?”

When I parted ways with Master and returned to the room from earlier, I found Mr. Mintark still sitting in the same spot, groaning and deep in thought.

He looked a little more worn down than before, like just the brief time I’d been away had taken a toll on him.

Was he really that opposed to accepting help from others?

“Um… Sorry if I’m interrupting. There’s just one thing I’ve been wondering about…”
“…I see. You want to ask about the relationship between the three districts, don’t you?”

While I fumbled to get the words out, Mr. Mintark read between the lines and gently stepped in to help.

Ugh, I really can’t do this. Not like Master can. I always end up moving before I think, and my words never come out right.

“Is it something… I’m allowed to ask about?”
“Of course. It’s something we need to come to terms with, too. Please, think of it as something to go with the tea… O water, bring warmth to this place.”

As he recited the incantation and snapped his fingers, a sphere of water instantly appeared in midair and began to boil, steam rising from it in a soft puff.

While it heated, he added tea leaves to the pot, and with smooth, practiced movements, Mr. Mintark guided the ball of hot water right into the teapot.

“Wow, that’s amazing! Was that magecraft too?”
“Yes, just an old man’s little trick. Lady Laika would no doubt have done it even more gracefully.”
“Oh no, no way! Master could never make tea this good. And these tea snacks are delicious, too!”

The tea, poured into the cups with expert finesse, tasted incredibly good. There was no way Master, who couldn’t care less about food, could’ve made something this refined. Even the sliced pound cake that came with it was the perfect match. The faint citrus aroma was irresistible.

…Wait, weren’t these snacks part of Master’s reward or something?

…Well, it’ll be fine as long as I don’t get caught.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. She would have, too…”
“…Wait, was this tea for someone important to you?”
“Yes. We used to call her Chiyo.”

Placing his cup down on the table, Mr. Mintark gazed off into the distance, his expression tinged with a quiet sorrow.

He looked like someone reminiscing about something from long ago—like a boy still holding onto a shiny, unspoken first love.

“Have you met Arnitta yet? There’s another who oversees the Magic District—his name is Runira. When we were young, the three of us were bound by a deep friendship.”
“So what made you all drift apart?”
“All of us… ended up falling in love with the same girl—Chiyo. She was very sickly and couldn’t leave her home. She would always sit by the window, gazing out at the garden.”

Mr. Mintark pulled a small notebook from his breast pocket and slipped out an old photograph tucked inside.

The photo, faded with age, showed a group of boys standing proudly in front of a stately home, striking cool poses. Even in sepia tones, it was clear that two of them were younger versions of Mr. Mintark and Mr. Arnitta.

Standing a short distance apart from them was another boy, hair neatly slicked down, wearing glasses and an expression of exasperation.

“Look here, can you see the girl in the window? That’s Chiyo.”
“Wow, you’re right! She’s adorable—like a porcelain doll!”

Just as he pointed out, there in the window was a girl so cute it made the sepia photo practically burst into color.

She wore a frilly dress, her thick hair curled into big ringlets, and her big, sparkling eyes were aimed straight at the camera as she held up a peace sign. She didn’t seem frail at all—in fact, she looked cheerful and full of mischief. It was hard to believe she’d been sickly.

“She looks lively, doesn’t she? It’s hard to tell with how faded the photo is, but her complexion was actually close to pale blue at the time.”
“She really doesn’t look it at all…”
“She had a heart condition. Even taking this photo pushed her too far… and three months later, she passed away.”
“No way…”
“We all wondered—did pushing her that day cause it? Then who was responsible? The three of us fought, desperate for a reason that would make her death make sense. And that fight… is what split this city the way it is today.”

Mr. Mintark carefully tucked the worn photo back into his notebook, then slid it into his breast pocket.

So that’s what it was. The three of them never moved on from that day.

They couldn’t let go of their love for Chiyo. They turned away from it. They never faced the question of “responsibility,” and they’ve been stuck in that moment ever since.

Maybe I wasn’t supposed to get involved in something like this. But this was a fight that someone had to get involved in—or it would never end.

“…Mr. Mintark, let’s go see the other two. I don’t know, but… it just doesn’t sit right with me, leaving it like this!”
“Eh? M-Ms. Momose? I mean, yes, that may be true, but…”
“You said you needed their help with the academy’s security, right? Then I’m coming too. Which way first—Magic District or Magitech District?”
“W-Well, I suppose we should start with the Magic District…”
“Then let’s go! No time like the present! Oh, but first I need to ask the old lady for time off!”

I grabbed his hand and dashed out of the room—there was so much to do.

I wasn’t good at complicated stuff, but I could at least do what I wanted to do. Right now, I wanted to help Mr. Mintark and the others make up. My body moved before I could even think about it.

And maybe I’d mess up again if I did this on my own—but if that happened, I believed Master would chase me down and hit the brakes when I needed it most.

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