Chapter 188: Talk

Chapter 188: Talk

"Miho?"

Suddenly, Lily’s voice came from the side.

"Big sister... you’re awake too?" Miho replied sleepily, her eyelids drooping as she struggled to keep them open.

"Mhm. I thought I’d switch with you—see? You’re about to fall asleep."

As she spoke, Lily’s gaze shifted to Mira, who was sitting beside Miho, her posture stiff as her eyes kept darting around the perimeter of the camp.

"Mira? Why are you awake?"

Mira flinched at Lily’s voice, her shoulders tensing.

"Uh, I—I woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep," she said hurriedly. "So I thought I’d keep Miho company."

"You should be resting," Lily said gently but firmly. "You were all soaked earlier. If you don’t rest, you’ll fall sick. Don’t worry, I’ll take over the night watch."

Mira nodded, but her eyes once again swept the darkness beyond the firelight, her fingers curling into her sleeves.

"What’s wrong?" Lily asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing..." Mira hesitated. "I just feel like someone’s watching me."

"You’re imagining things," Lily replied calmly. "Go back and sleep. Miho, you too. Tomorrow we head into the wild for some adventure."

Miho nodded obediently and shuffled into her shed, the faint rustle of cloth marking her retreat.

Mira lingered for a moment longer, her lips parting as if to say something.

"Why don’t we talk for—ack!" She suddenly clutched her head, a slight gasp escaping her as pain surged through her.

"Mira?" Lily stepped closer, concern flashing across her face. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Uh—y-yeah. I’m fine," Mira said quickly, forcing a smile. "You’re right. I should sleep." Without waiting for another word, she hurried into the shed.

Lily stared after her, frowning.

"Strange... did the cold cause headaches?" she muttered. "Hmm..."

"It was you, wasn’t it?" Lily said softly.

Her expression warmed as she felt something brush against her cheek—a familiar softness accompanied by a faint warmth.

"Aren’t you naughty, Shyra?" Lily chuckled, stroking the barely visible black fur beside her face. "Scaring girls like that?"

"Prr~"

A low, satisfied purr answered her touch.

Before Lily could continue, she felt a gentle weight settle on her shoulder.

"Huh?" She blinked. "Niri? You’re here too?" Her eyes lit up. "Nice! So Leo really hid this from me as a surprise."

"Nii~"

Niri’s form materialised fully as she nuzzled Lily’s face, her leafy red hair brushing against Lily’s cheek. A fresh, woody fragrance filled the air, rich and soothing, like a forest after rain. Being a half-spirit, Niri felt especially warm and close to Lily, their connection strengthened by Lily’s nature as a spirit caller.

Lily cradled Niri like a child, laughing softly as she played with her. Shyra remained in stealth; her true form would radiated a natural aura strong enough to wake the others if revealed. The rest of the night passed in quiet peace, the fire crackling softly as the camp slept.

By morning, before anyone else stirred, Shyra slipped Niri back into stealth once more.

One by one, the girls emerged from their sheds, followed by Miho—and then Leo. Under Lily’s watchful glare, the girls quickly washed the mattresses. After a sumptuous meal of meat and vegetables, they packed up and prepared to depart.

"Thank you for your kindness," they said together, bowing.

As they turned to leave, Aina suddenly stopped and spun back around.

"Miss Lily!" she called, her eyes wide and hopeful. "When you form a territory... can we join you?"

Those big, pleading puppy eyes made refusal impossible.

"Well," Lily sighed with a smile, "we’ll see when the time comes."

"Thank you!" Aina beamed, and the girls hurried away.

Leo and the others soon began heading back toward the academy. As they walked, Miho suddenly felt heavy footsteps behind her. She turned—and froze.

Shyra was walking behind them, her presence unmistakable even without revealing herself fully.

Then, with a mischievous gleam, Niri chose a new target. She hopped onto Miho’s shoulder and began gently pinching her cheeks with her small arms. Though her weight was light, Miho stumbled slightly, her expression turning vacant—as if her mind had drifted elsewhere.

Leo abruptly stopped, his expression telling that something serious had happened.

"Hm?" He frowned, exchanging a brief interaction with Shyra. "Did they do something to Miho?"

Lily’s ears sharpened at once. Miho blinked, her awareness snapping back.

"Miho," Leo said carefully, "did something happen to you last night?"

"Huh? N-no, Master Leo," Miho replied, confused. "I was fine..."

"No. Think carefully. Something must have happened."

Miho hesitated, then nodded slowly after thinking for a while.

"Y-yes... I suddenly felt very sleepy," she admitted. "But Mira was with me, so the watch wasn’t compromised..." Her voice trembled slightly, as if expecting a scolding.

"Were you sleepy before that girl arrived?" Leo asked.

Miho thought hard, then shook her head.

"Even I felt sleepy last night," Leo muttered.

He turned to Lily. "What about you? Did you feel anything unusual?"

Lily shook her head, though her thoughts drifted back to those innocent-looking girls.

"What happened after she arrived?" Leo asked Miho.

"N-nothing... we just talked before big sister came."

"Talked?" Leo pressed. "About what?"

Miho frowned deeply, her brows knitting together.

"I... I can’t recall."

"Try harder," Lily encouraged gently. "Anything at all."

Miho squeezed her eyes shut.

"Something about skills... and strength...? I—I can’t..."

Leo’s eyes narrowed.

Sleepiness. Casual conversation. Missing memories.

It felt eerily similar to cases where people were drugged or influenced to extract information.

"Lily," Leo said, turning to her, "when you went there... did you notice anything strange?"

Lily thought back carefully. "No... Mira just seemed anxious. I assumed she sensed Shyra’s presence—but wait." Her eyes widened. "She suddenly clutched her head in pain when she mentioned staying for a while, maybe she caught a cold."

"Head pain...?" Leo murmured. "Did some skill backfire? How? I am stronger than Lily but it seemed to work on me..."

Suddenly, he reached for Lily

.

"L-Leo?" Lily yelped, blushing as his hand slipped beneath her clothes, near her chest. "I-it’s daytime, and we’re outside..."

Miho instantly turned her head away, cheeks burning red.

Ignoring the reactions, Leo pulled something out—a necklace Lily had been wearing. The blue gem caught the sunlight, radiating a brilliant sheen.

Leo examined it closely.

"There are cracks..." he muttered.

"The necklace protects you from mental attacks, Lily," he said gravely. "When did it crack?"

Lily’s blush vanished instantly.