The orange angel had transformed into a human-sized figure, resembling a regular human, sitting among the nobles and dignitaries of Acadia in the conference room.

Although it was a roundtable meeting, somehow this monster seemed to have taken the most important seat.

There was no reason, but you just had that feeling.

"Marquis Remyel? Do you have anything else to say?"

The orange angel stood up, completely oblivious to the difference between herself and the other attendees, speaking like a regular person.

"Well, indeed, the Red Port incident last time gave us a big warning."

"The issue of firearms is indeed a big problem."

Even though Remyel hadn't said anything, Oedipus seemed to have heard something.

And it wasn't just Remyel who was present, everyone was immersed in a strange silence. They stared at their desks with a vacant look in their eyes, as if they were asleep with their eyes open.

Except for Maria.

Maria lazily tapped her fingers on the desk, watching Oedipus perform his self-questioning and self-answering routine in the center of the conference room.

She had grown accustomed to Oedipus's monologues.

"While firearms are dangerous, they are indeed excellent weapons produced in the outside world."

"Our search and supervision system is not yet perfect. I believe that even if we ban firearms and impose severe punishment measures, some of the fish will still escape the net."

"I suggest issuing gun permits instead, allowing those with good character and proficient marksmanship to carry firearms. This way, we can check the criminal activities of lawbreakers."

"Although magic is much more powerful than firearms."

"But highly skilled mages are in the minority, and firearms still pose a great threat to unprepared mages."

"A surprise attack without magical fluctuation is deadly."

"I indeed believe that Acadia does not harbor extremely evil individuals."

"But the premise is that a good system should be able to play a corresponding restraining role."

"Do you have anything else to add?"

The orange demon clapped the document in her hand and asked with a pretentious tone.

The nearby document clerk woke up as if from a dream, mechanically moving his body to begin recording Oedipus's words and actions.

"Well... onto the next item."

--------------------------------------------------

"I have a strange feeling."

"This is not the first time I've met you."

"This is not the first time I've fallen in love with you."

"Merka... Why are you suddenly bringing this up?" Turing's cheeks turned slightly red, and she rarely stumbled over her words.

"Could it be... are you comforting me?" Turing finally stopped crying and looked up at Merka's face uneasily.

Merka had a pale complexion, with black eyes. His disheveled short hair was messy, but somehow attractive.

A purple gem, like a piece of midnight, was embedded in his feminine face. It was even clearer and more transparent than ordinary eyes and reflected Turing's face with clarity.

Turing dared not look too long, dared not look too much.

Afraid that if she accidentally fell into that endless galaxy, she would encounter the extinguished black hole and the passionately burning stars inside.

Afraid of getting caught in the endless night, trapped in the eternal breath of the tide and the snoring of the sleeping beasts.

"No way." Merka smiled lightly.

"You think too highly of me," Merka said. "I'm not that thoughtful."

Merka gently held Turing, and Turing fell back, laying in Merka's arms, resting on Merka's thigh.

The two of them sat quietly on the pile of logs in the afternoon breeze for a while.

Turing used magic to raise the temperature around them, isolating the fine fresh snow. Without the snowflakes, the winter afternoon felt warm like spring, gentle and charming.

"So, what's your answer?" Merka was a bit hesitant because Turing seemed unwilling to speak.

"A rhetorical question," Turing lightly bit Merka's waist through the clothes.

Looking at the saliva left on Merka's clothes, Turing wiped it with her hand and blinked her moist, elf-like eyes.

[I always feel like I lost you once.]

[When exactly was that?]

[If I hadn't missed you before, I wouldn't treasure you so much.]

"You should have said that earlier. No need to beat around the bush." Turing comfortably turned over and rubbed against Merka's thigh.

"To be honest, I used to think that you liked me just because you wanted a change from your noble lady peers." Merka scratched her face in embarrassment and gently stroked Turing's forehead with one hand.

"They have many girls from prestigious families who do that, flirting with commoners because they long for the plotlines in novels."

"I can't let your impulsive decisions ruin your future."

"Because you take things too seriously. When you said you wanted to run away with me, I was genuinely startled." Merka's caress was gentle, like treating a small animal, following the fur, lowering the pressure, as warm as the moonlight and as peaceful as the breeze on a late night.

Turing thought to herself that perhaps if she had a father, he would be just as gentle.

"Did you know about my identity early on?" Turing asked with her eyes closed, lying peacefully as if half asleep.

"How could Maria not tell me?"

"Being as smart as you are, you should understand by now that the Bishop has been doing all these things to try to recruit you." Merka whispered, "To oppose Duke Oedipus."

"Did you also want to recruit me?" Turing's tone was melodious and joyful, as if she wasn't angry at all about Merka keeping things from her.

"I did think that... but then I changed my mind. I was avoiding you before because I didn't want you to be used because of me."

"Now, I think sacrificing a few for the greater good of the majority is truly incorrect."

"Although I'm still not quite sure what I should do to reduce the suffering in this world."

"But I've decided to follow you and no longer blindly obey the Bishop."

"Whatever Turing wants, that's what I want."

"I want to take a look at this world again from Turing's perspective, to see if there is any cure to it."

"I..." Merka seemed to have something else to say, but Turing interrupted.

"Not enough." Turing seemed a little angry, sitting up from Merka's lap and staring intently at Merka's face.

"What?" Merka asked confused.

"I said it's still not enough!"

"Is it so difficult to say that you like me and want to be with me? Do you have to use so many people as an excuse?"

"I said it's still not enough, meaning I don't feel like we're in a relationship at all."

"We've leaned on each other, touched each other, haven't we done all that before?"

"Do something that couples do, quickly!"

"You have a broad perspective, you must know better than me, better than..."

A few faint snowflakes finally fell, breaking through Turing's warm protective shield and dampening her pale red, almost pink, shoulder-length hair.

Turing lost her composure for a moment and released the magic that she had been maintaining all along.

You should know that there are some magic spells that Turing even maintains while sleeping. What could have happened to make this ultimate magician release her power?

Merka gently brushed aside Turing's bangs with one hand and lovingly kissed Turing's eye corner.

Turing, in shock, seemed to melt away her dark circles in the corners of her eyes, trembling silently.