"You know, it took me a lot of effort to convince that woman, my aunt, to leave." Raphael took off his bow and arrows from his shoulder.
The smooth bow shaft and the arrowhead shimmering with cold light were obviously good arrows at first sight.
"This basement, no, the entire mansion, is now protected by a defensive magic I have cast."
"All things considered, the unique magic of our family, I don't know why Oedipus has it."
"But since it's our own magic, we naturally have some special methods to remove it."
Raphael pushed the bow and arrows into Turing's puzzled hands.
"But you know, magic involving the mind is difficult to dispel by external forces if you yourself aren't on guard against the caster."
"In other words, if you really don't want to resist your mother, I can't help you either."
Raphael said with a serious expression. The exhaustion on her face now seemed to prove that she had indeed put in a lot of effort to negotiate with her aunt.
"But... what does this bow and arrow have to do with it?" Turing asked.
【As for everything related to the bow and arrow, I should never lose.】
【It's more accurate to say that I never lose in any competition.】
"This is a trial."
Raphael pointed to the nearby wall, where the lights instantly turned on with Raphael's intention, revealing a small target.
"What you see now is mostly your own illusions. They are the effects of my defensive magic when Oedipus' magic counterattacks."
"Simply put, Oedipus probably used some memory deletion magic."
"It can merge with your sight and hearing, making it impossible for you to see clearly."
"But despite my magic trying to help you as much as possible,"
"If you don't want to break free from the control of the caster, even my magic can't help you."
【What does she mean? What is she talking about?】
"So, you called me here just to help me dispel my mother's magic? How kind of you?"
Turing held the arrow in his left hand and the bow in his right, looking at Raphael with doubt.
"Of course not," Raphael crossed her arms and had a composed face.
"I'm doing it for myself, to deal with Oedipus."
"So, if you really want to resist Oedipus."
"You have to hit it." Raphael looked towards the direction of the target again.
"Although most of what you see around you now is probably illusions, that target isn't."
"Implanted in your mind, the magic obstructs your memory and must exert influence and pressure on your various senses."
"If you can overcome these limitations and hit the bullseye, it proves that you have the heart to resist Oedipus, and not just a half-hearted person acting on impulse. The higher the score, the stronger your resistance." Raphael explained in detail, "Only by passing this test, can I trust you and reveal some secrets to you."
"But I never said I wanted to join your side... I actually don't want to hear any secrets." Turing frowned, starting to think of a way to avoid it.
【I just want to live an ordinary life with Merka, I don't want to have any connection with the nobles anymore.】
"Ah... don't you want to remove the magic on yourself?" Raphael was a bit surprised. If Turing didn't want to resist Oedipus, why would she try to escape? "Facing the urgent goal of shooting an arrow, along with my counter magic, you can break free from Oedipus' limitations."
"Sigh..." Turing said.
【I don't care about past memories at all.】
"Well then, you don't want to know Oedipus' secrets either?" Raphael approached Turing, asking with a stern expression.
"..." Turing didn't speak, but the hand holding the bow and arrow continued to tighten.
【Mother... If it's my mother...】
"It doesn't matter." Turing finally raised the bow and arrow, and the left hand holding the arrow also slowly lifted up.
"In my entire life, I have never exceeded my mother's expectations, not even once."
"I will never lose, no matter what." Turing put her finger on the string, pulling the bow to a full moon shape.
"Whether it's grades or behavior, I have never surprised her, always staying within her expectations."
"Watch as I hit the bullseye." Turing closed one eye, a feeling of concentration and tranquility rose, seemingly gently swaying Turing's skirt.
"This time, it's different."
"Seems like it's alright... right?" Raphael stood beside Turing, barely nodding.
"Huh?" Just as Turing was about to release, she noticed that the bow in her hand was gone, replaced by a shiny black handgun.
Turing's finger trembled, almost pressing the trigger, causing Turing to break out in a cold sweat.
"What? Is this an illusion too? But I don't even know how to use a handgun."
"Calm down, calm down. It should still be the bow in my hand, no mistake." Turing remained motionless, maintaining her previous stance, staring at the bullseye not far away.
"If it were my mother... if it were my mother, what would she do now?"
Suddenly, a warm breath brushed against Turing's neck, followed by a gentle voice. No need for Turing to think too much, she knew who it was.
"If you don't have confidence, then don't shoot." Oedipus' voice was tender and flawless, perfect to the point of detachment from the world.
"This is just an illusion too..."
A trace of a smile appeared on Turing's lips. Her eyes flickered with extreme madness.
"I will win, I will always win."
"A buzz" sounded, and the bullet fired from the gun transformed into a swift arrow, flying towards the target.
Meanwhile, Raphael stood beside, completely stunned with his mouth gaping open.
"You... completely missed the target." Raphael said with a trembling voice. "Aren't you supposed to be a prodigy at everything?"
—————————————————————
"Why should I hurry and leave Red Port?" Merka read the message from the Tide Witch over and over again, realizing that it was filled with gentle advice, urging her to leave Red Port.
"What is your plan?" Merka held the letter, lowering her gaze with a sense of melancholy.
"I have always admired you... because you have worked for a prominent family, and you have even stayed abroad for a long time."
"With your background, what kind of grand scheme do you have... that forces you to kill so many people?"
