Azel finally reached the wall of the town, stretching his neck a bit as he exhaled.

The long walk from the Gravegrounds had taken a few minutes, but he was fine… he was used to moving between realms at this point.

When he spotted the familiar teleportation mage sitting at a small wooden table beside Captain Rhun, he blinked.

The mage was calmly drinking a glass of creamy white liquid.

"Ah, you're still here?" Azel asked, walking closer with a raised brow.

The teleportation mage… the same one who had brought him down to Karan town nearly choked on his drink.

He quickly wiped his mouth and straightened up.

Rhun, meanwhile, chuckled and continued drinking his own without a care in the world.

"Yes, I am," the mage said, clearing his throat. "I figured you were resting. The Head of the Mage Department told me that after your interrogation, you weren't feeling too well."

"I see…" Azel said, scratching his head awkwardly. "She's right, I was resting. Sorry for making you wait so long… I hope I didn't trouble you too much."

"Not at all." The mage smiled. "I only arrived three days ago. I've been staying at an inn here in town, sharing a few drinks with Captain Rhun while I waited for you."

Azel chuckled, looking at the half-empty bottle beside them. "Monster milk, huh?"

The mage nodded proudly. "It's surprisingly refreshing."

Rhun cleared his throat and turned to Azel. "Don't forget, Azel… if you ever want me to introduce you to my daughter, I—"

Before Rhun could finish, a wave of blue light swallowed both Azel and the mage.

Rhun sighed, staring at the spot where they had been. "…Still didn't let me finish."

…

Azel was washing his hair… It had been an hour or so since he reached the castle and it seemed the Emperor even wanted to see him…

'I should get this done quickly,' he thought, glancing at the reflection of his face. 'After this, I'll head back to the Academy. Medusa, Isolde, everyone… I wonder what they've been doing.'

He reached for the towel when the door suddenly creaked open.

"I already told you I didn't need any help with my—"

He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the person at the doorway.

"Oh… it's you."

Mynes leaned against the doorframe with a raised brow, her long red hair tied back loosely.

"'Oh… it's you?'" she repeated, pretending to clutch her chest in pain. "That's the first thing you say to a woman who's been worried sick about you? How cruel."

Azel exhaled and turned back to the mirror. "You didn't look worried when I left."

She walked in with a little smirk, her heeled boots clicking softly against the floor. "I hide it well. Comes with being a professor, you know?"

He ignored her teasing and continued brushing his wet hair back.

'Still as shameless as ever,' he thought.

Mynes circled behind him and placed both her hands on his head, her long fingers brushing through his damp hair.

"Hey."

"Hey what?" she shot back immediately. "Let me help you with your hair. You always make it stick up like some kind of feral prince."

Azel sighed, but he didn't stop her. "You know I can do it myself, right?"

"Maybe. But you're not nearly as good as me."

Several small runes floated into existence around his head… soft circles of gold and blue light.

One blew warm air to dry his hair, another cooled it down, a third added moisture to soften it, and a fourth brushed through the strands gently.

Mynes hummed as she worked. "Believe it or not, I'm the one who styles my mom's hair every week. She says my hands are blessed."

"I see…" Azel muttered.

When the runes vanished, Mynes used her fingers to give his hair one last touch, combing through with complete focus.

"So," Azel said after a pause, "how have you been?"

"I should be asking you that question," Mynes said, meeting his eyes through the mirror. "You dealt with the werewolf issue perfectly, but apparently, a bigger problem showed up right after."

He frowned slightly. "Bigger?"

"The reports came from Karan Town," she said. "They found traces of a strange compound in the base you cleared. The Mages' Department collected a sample for testing."

"A sample?" he echoed, surprise flickering in his eyes. He didn't expect them to find anything in that burning wreckage…

"Yes." She nodded. "It was analyzed by the Empire's best magicians even Grand Mage Luke himself."

Azel turned around fully now, his towel draped around his shoulders. "What did they find?"

Mynes hesitated for a moment before she spoke.

"The compound… was made using Princess Nyala's blood."

Azel's expression didn't change.

'I didn't think they'd catch on that quick,' he thought, inwardly sighing.

"I see…" he said after a moment, turning back to the mirror and straightening his collar. "Then I guess that's why I'm being called to the throne room."

"Most likely." Mynes nodded. "Word travels fast when it involves a royal's blood. You might want to prepare for questions."

Azel sighed. "I'm used to questions."

Mynes chuckled softly and gave his reflection a small smile. "You look good, by the way. Better than you did before."

"Thanks, Professor."

"'Professor,' huh?" she teased, feigning a pout. "Couldn't go with something a bit sweeter?"

He ignored her jab again, instead adjusting the cuffs of his formal shirt.

'Still infuriatingly handsome,' she thought. She was really considering her mother's words… Her father had been her student and they were getting along so there was really nothing stopping her.

But she quickly cleared her throat and stepped back. "Anyway… take it easy, okay? We all know it's been stressful lately. Just do what you can in there."

"Alright."

Satisfied, Mynes turned toward the door. "Good luck, Azel."

"I'll try not to."

When she left, the room fell quiet again.

Azel sighed softly and looked at his reflection one last time.

"I wonder what Aldric will give me for this," he muttered. It better be a lot of gold…

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