Chapter 301 Mia’s Farewell
On the other side of the night, as if painted black with ink.
At the mansion where Alice and the others were staying.
Faint flashes of unknown origin would occasionally appear outside the window, followed by deafening roars like thunder.
The Capital City had completely turned into a battlefield.
Despite the commotion outside being infinitely more terrifying than any storm, Alice’s heart, strangely enough, felt a modicum of relief.
Dekan must have gradually turned around the apocalyptic situation.
Only Cornelia looked worriedly out the window, her unease conspicuous.
She felt that there was an undeniable exhaustion in Dekan’s voice when he had announced the Shadow Bishop’s betrayal to the entire city.
Given Dekan’s usual nature, no matter how tired he was, he always acted powerfully, mocking others with disdainful undertones, and playing mind games with the other bishops.
But this time, Dekan’s tone had been unusually flat.
Cornelia knew that it was a weariness filled with pain.
Having always been by Dekan’s side, she understood his thoughts and feelings well.
Dekan was nearing his limits, and his current melancholy was palpable, as if struck by some blow.
She had never seen Dekan like this.
“Dekan… what happened…”
Cornelia wanted to rush to Dekan’s side, to hold his hand if only to make him see her.
But her mission was to protect Alice and Flora.
Besides the Rebirth Church, they had to also be cautious of any attacks from the calamity cult.
Cornelia couldn’t help but glance back at the other combat-ready companion.
Mia, since earlier, seemed drowsy and had already started nodding off on the couch.
Even during the trip to the Randir Kingdom for the team evaluation test, Cornelia noticed that Mia was often sleepy when they shared a room.
Mia really loved to sleep.
“Snap out of it, focus.”
Cornelia slapped her own cheeks.
This was the time when she needed to focus on her tasks and wait for Dekan’s victorious return.
Whatever troubles Dekan had, she would listen patiently after he returned and console his weary heart with her words.
“Hmm…”
Accompanying the soft murmur, Mia slowly opened her eyes on the couch.
This time, however, her gaze changed, becoming far colder and more severe than usual.
She seemed to be planning to leave without a word.
But she realized her wrist was still lightly held by Alice.
She was momentarily stunned.
She hesitated.
Then, slowly, she turned her head to look at Alice, her expression filled with reluctance.
At that fleeting moment, the usual Mia seemed to return.
As if waking up from a long dream, she held faint attachments to fading memories.
It seemed like she had something to say but was hesitant about whether she should voice it.
The short silence allowed Alice to meet her gaze.
“Mia… what’s wrong with you?”
Alice looked confused.
“Alice, if I’ve deceived you for a long time about something, would you be angry?”
Mia asked softly.
“Huh? Why are you bringing this up suddenly? I won’t be angry, I promise I won’t!”
Alice didn’t understand why Mia had asked this.
“Well, shall I tell you?”
“Yes, go ahead, Mia.”
“Do you still remember when we first met, and you said you would teach me how to make magical cards?”
Hearing Mia’s question, Alice was momentarily dazed, recalling the first year at school.
She remembered when she first met Mia in the dormitory next door, immediately starting to brag about how talented she was.
At that time, Mia had only smiled and nodded, constantly praising Alice.
Perhaps since then, Alice, who had left the Royal Palace and entered school for the first time, began to increasingly enjoy being praised by others.
Boasting, and always being successful.
Unfortunately.
A year later, Alice hit a brick wall.
—Bragging to Dekan about her card-making skills.
Recalling this, Alice wanted to bury herself in a hole in the ground.
“Did you…are you also a super skilled card maker who’s been hiding it from me?!”
Alice immediately thought about the “princess joke” she made after being spoiled by Mia’s praise, and her PTSD was starting to kick in.
“In fact, I’m not any worse than Dekan.”
Mia leaned closer to Alice, whispering the words into her ear, accompanied by a suppressed laugh.
At that time, Mia found this princess amusing and couldn’t bear to tell her the truth.
So she had deceived Alice, saying that she wasn’t good at making magical cards.
And unexpectedly, two years had passed.
The lie had turned into reality over time.
“You must just be teasing me!”
Alice wanted to push Mia away to look at her but found that Mia had already gently embraced her.
It was unclear whether Mia didn’t want Alice to see her expression or didn’t want to meet Alice’s gaze again.
“Other than that, I’ve never lied to you.”
Mia continued to softly say to Alice, “But, Mia, a second-year student from the alchemy department of the Norton Kingdom’s Hewenlit Academy, is the biggest falsehood to you.”
“What are you talking about… what does that mean…”
Alice’s words were broken and disjointed, but she suddenly recalled how little she knew about Mia.
Sometimes when Alice inquired about Mia, she only brushed it off. For instance, when asked where her home was, Mia would only vaguely say “the north,” but Alice didn’t know the exact location.
It seemed as if Mia had finished her farewell to Alice, finally released her, and looked at Cornelia and Flora.
“Cornelia, Flora, I’ve had a wonderful time with you both. Though I’d love to stay with you longer, this is my final farewell.”
“Mia…”
Even though Cornelia didn’t know what Mia intended to do next, she had a premonition that Mia was about to leave and never return.
Mia stood up and looked at the three of them. Her eyes flashed with a hint of determination and then quickly hardened into a stranger’s coldness.
“I am the Shadow Bishop of the Rebirth Church and the commander of the Salong Empire’s magical special operations unit, your enemy!”
As these words sounded, Mia’s body began to gradually dissolve into tiny orange lights, disappearing.
Alice’s expression was panic-stricken. She reached out to grab Mia but was left with nothing but the fading lights slipping through her fingers like sand.
As a cardmaker, Alice finally understood during this final moment – the attributes of the dissipating Mia or the summon construct.
[Shadow Saint]
[Category: Summon Card]
[Rank: Orange Epic]
[Class: 8]
[Effect: Perfect disguise as any human up to and including tier 6. Inherits the summoner’s growth attributes, synchronizes with the summoner’s intentions, can be controlled and recalled from an ultra-long distance.]
[Note: The ultimate evolution of the shadow puppet. The pinnacle achievement in information-gathering by the imperial commander.]
