"Wow, you're really dressed up."
The next morning, at the train platform departing from London, Reines—dragging her suitcase behind her—blurted this out the moment she saw Caren.
"Is it not appropriate?" Caren turned in place, inspecting her outfit.
She wore a deep crimson dress, its neckline adorned with a sapphire-studded ribbon. A round beret rested atop her long silver hair. Amid a group clad mostly in muted greys and cool tones, she definitely stood out.
"No, it's perfect—almost too perfect. You startled me," Reines said cheerfully. "You usually dress elegantly, sure, but your colors and patterns are usually so plain you could pass for someone from the Holy Church."
Caren gave a knowing smile. "I do share some of the Church's teachings. Unfortunately, Father never supported my baptism, so I tend to lean that way subconsciously."
In truth, Caren's understanding of the Holy Church now surpassed even Shiomi's. If she ever needed to pass as a nun or run a church, no one would question her qualifications or abilities.
Still, she chose the world of Magus over a life of faith, and she didn't feel that was any sort of loss.
"My father picked the outfit. As long as others think it suits me, that's what matters most," Caren added plainly.
Shiomi, standing nearby, spread his hands. "You looked like you were thinking, 'Has my dad lost his mind?' when you first saw the outfit. What's with the sudden change of heart?"
"I should've acted more displeased, just to make him second-guess himself a bit longer," Caren replied, unabashedly pleased.
There was nothing more entertaining than teasing someone like Shiomi. Since it didn't always work, the timing had to be just right.
"Tch..." Shiomi clicked his tongue. "Keep that up and I'm not carrying your luggage anymore. Handle your own suitcase."
Caren actually reached for it—but Shiomi dodged.
Reines couldn't stop laughing. "You're hopeless against girls, Teacher. That kind of softness will cost you."
"I've never really paid for it. No point butting heads with your own people," Shiomi replied casually.
The group laughed and boarded the train, settling into a set of four seats facing each other.
"...May I ask what this trip is about?" Gray, who had stayed quietly observant until now, finally gathered the courage to ask.
The event they were attending was said to be the debut of this generation's Princess of Gold and Princess of Silver. That was all Gray knew—and she was deeply curious.
"Well, I could explain," Reines began as she unwrapped a liquor chocolate and offered it to Caren and Gray, "but since this is about the Department of Creation, it's better if Teacher explains."
Savoring the rich wine aroma and sweetness spreading through her mouth, Caren nodded in agreement. "After all, my father's a talent personally recognized by the Lord of the Department of Creation, so of course we've had close ties."
Shiomi had planned to stay out of the discussion, but seeing the topic land squarely on him, he leaned back in his seat and gave it some thought.
"Simply put, it's like the factions within El-Melloi's camp—Archibald and Archisorte. It's the same with Lady Inorai's Valualeta faction. She herself comes from the Atroholm family, which leads the Valualeta faction, but this time the social invitation came from the Iselma branch."
Crossing his arms, Shiomi continued calmly.
"As you know, Magus of the Department of Creation are usually artists of some kind. Lady Inorai, for instance, specializes in sand painting. While the forms of artistic pursuit vary widely, the Iselma family has always been obsessed with crafting 'the most beautiful humans.'"
"And their results are the generations of Princesses of Gold and Silver," Caren added. "But I doubt my father accepted the invitation just out of respect for Valualeta."
Faced with Caren's remark, Shiomi shrugged. "I heard Touko will be there too. It's been years—I should ask if she's ready to pay back what she owes me."
"Oh, right. I forgot she was your teacher back when she held the Grand title," Reines said slyly.
This wasn't a secret within the Clock Tower. Shiomi, known more for combat than theory, had never published anything. Just being Touko's student wasn't enough to get him a Sealing Designation—instead, he became the one enforcing them.
Still, because it was such a well-known fact, Reines found it all the more baffling.
Is Tenkei Shiomi really a student of Touko Aozaki? El-Melloi's young protégée often found herself doubting it, guided by instinct.
"Grand... is that the highest rank for a Magus?" Gray asked.
Grand.
Brand.
Pride.
Fes.
Cause.
Count.
Frame.
These were the seven primary ranks within the Clock Tower.
"In theory, yes. But in practice, the highest functioning rank is Brand. Even most Lords stop there—like the Lord of Valualeta we just mentioned," Caren glanced at Shiomi. "As for my father, he's one rank below, at Pride."
Reines let out a sigh. "Wow, for a Magus with no backing to rise to Pride... that's impressive. He's one of the top Sealing Designation enforcers today. Honestly, calling him the strongest wouldn't be far off."
"I always thought I'd top out at Fes," Shiomi said, pursing his lips as if it weren't a big deal. "The Democratic Faction probably just needed someone to be their banner, so they pushed a no-name like me up the ladder."
Only Caren truly understood—his actual strength had long since surpassed what the Clock Tower's ranking system could measure.
"But I heard the higher-ups have been trying to promote you to Brand in recent years?" Gray asked.
Reines looked even more delighted. "That's right! But because it's so unprecedented, it's met resistance from all sides. They haven't been able to make it official."
"That's just the higher-ups playing their usual games. Nothing to do with me," Shiomi said indifferently, even cracking a joke. "Besides, hardly anyone reaches Grand. And when you do, it probably just means you're next in line for a Sealing Designation."
"Did father ever take part in a Sealing Designation mission against Touko Aozaki?"
"Nope. By the time I was active, she'd already taken out several squads of Sealing Designation agents."
Shiomi spread his hands in a mock gesture of regret.
...
(90 Chapters Ahead)
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