1.21.

"I'm sorry for hitting you Sequencee I really just.. didn't know."

"I'm fine."

'Not. I'm quite annoyed. But her well-being comes first.'

Sequencee and Leticia went out of the gate, the sky was still bright. There was still another hour or two before sunset arrived.

"Have you.. eaten?" Leticia asked.

"Hm? You?"

"There was some food inside the hall. I didn't feel like eating but that.. Nynim forced me to."

"Glad you two get around well. She's quite a powerful mage."

"..."

'I really don't know how I should approach this.'

"Speaking of which, where do we go again?" Sequencee scratched his head on purpose.

"I think we go straight and then right?"

'Man, the map sure was useful. Maybe I should get another one next time.'

Sequencee and Leticia fumbled their way to the inn. Fortunately, they didn't take too long to find those landmarks which helped jog their memory–

"Hm?"

Sequencee turned around.

"What is it?" Leticia stopped and turned to him.

"I thought there's someone following us.. maybe it's just me."

"I don't think it's just you.." Leticia narrowed her eyes, though she wasn't able to spot anyone suspicious in the crowd.

"Yeah." Sequencee made a mental note to check up on his spatial magic more often.

As their figures moved further away, the succubus leaning against one of the alleys shivered a sigh.

"Haah.. that was close."

She touched the red necklace with her fingers and imbued mana.

===

Open.

"Take care."

"We'll meet at the dining hall at 5."

"Un."

The conversation trailed off. The sound of the door shutting.

Lilian looked up from the floor and met Leticia's eyes.

"Lilian.."

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

Lilian had been crying for hours by the bedside since she came back. So when she saw that the side of Leticia's eyes were slightly swollen, a bunch of thoughts began to run wild in her mind.

"W-What happened?" Lilian managed to squeeze out those words with a grimace.

"Uh.." Leticia gripped her fist and turned away.

Lilian was familiar with this gesture of her's. It was a sign that something bad happened.

"No way, don't tell me you didn't.."

"I.. did. I did make it to the end."

Lilian felt the hope in her heart shatter into pieces. It was a dark hope lingering there that perhaps they would fail the appraisal and wouldn't need to leave her and Ro out on the streets alone– that they would continue to adventure together–

"I see.."

"Of course, someone who could control lighting and plants to such a degree would be selected.."

Lilian recalled the pressure that night during their trip to Equestria, how Leticia kept ramming her magic into Sequencee. The intensity and reverence she felt on that day was a memory she won't be able to forget easily.

It was a wonder how strong Sequencee and Leticia was to someone like Lilian who did nothing but play around in the home.

"Sequencee was disqualified in the fourth round.."

"Huh? How? What happened?!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"It's alright to not.."

"It's my fault, I.."

Leticia gripped her fist.

===

"I don't know if I should call this a blessing or curse."

"Probably both."

"..."

"..."

Sequencee and Ro chatted about their future plans while Lilian and Leticia ate their meal in silence. The dining hall of the inn was quite clamorous, with many mercenaries drinking in a merry mood.

They ordered food that was slightly more expensive than usual to celebrate Leticia's enrolment into Riestallia Academy. A whole braised red duck with duck sauce was shared among the four of them. It was a unique recipe said to have been handed down from Hero Rika's grandmother to Hero Rika, to the chefs of Rika nation.

"So, what do you plan to do if it doesn't work?" Ro asked.

"Who knows.. Leticia."

"Hm?"

"If I don't manage to enter the academy, I'll most likely head to Eluive."

"..."

"I'll do my best of course."

"How are you going to try to enroll?" Lilian asked, tearing into the duck meat.

"He says he has something super expensive in his luggage. He's going to try to use that to barter," Ro said.

"Something super expensive? A heirloom?"

"No."

'Could it be considered an heirloom? I have no idea.. but I really wanted to keep it.. no choice. I can't let the past hold me back here.'

"So if I do manage to enter Riestallia Academy," Sequencee continued, "The other problem is how you and Ro are going to handle this new environment."

"..."

"Right. We don't know anything after all," Ro sighed.

"Sequencee, don't we have the receipt from Sir Quill?" Leticia interjected.

"Oh right. There's a guild branch here too."

"Guild branch?"

"Dimitri's Guild House. Leticia and I worked as the tavern waiters," Sequencee recalled.

"Ah, that one," Lilian seemed to have realized something.

"Perhaps you two could go there and maybe work a few months to get to know the world a little better?"

"Hm.." Ro contemplated.

"Me and Ro?" Lilian said.

"You and Ro. If I'm not wrong, I think I heard from Sir Quill that the guild provides accommodations for their workers. I'm not sure, we'll have to ask again," Sequencee said.

"I think that's a good idea," Ro spoke.

"Yeah, I think so too," Lilian said.

"Does the map show where the guild is?"

"We'll have to ask the clerk."

The map they bought only shows the general layout of the city. The specifics weren't well defined. The only reason they were able to locate Riestallia Academy was because of the small cross the clerk marked on the map using red ink.

"If you don't find a way to enter, then will you actually go to Eluive while we work at Dimitri's guild?" Lilian asked.

"Most likely.." Seuqencee drawled.

"If that happens I'm forfeiting the scholarship," Leticia said in a grave voice.

"Wow, wow, wow– chill, Leticia, chill," Ro fanned her with his arms.

"I didn't come to Riestallia Academy just so I can become a strong mage. I came because you said you were going, so it doesn't serve any purpose to stay if you're leaving," Leticia said, facing Sequencee with a resolute expression.

"Isn't that a straight-up confession there?" Ro flinched.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Alright. If it doesn't work out, we'll go to Eluive Kingdom and see our chances there," Sequencee said with a sigh.

'Things just don't go according to plan huh?'

===

"Sequencee. I'm being a bother by asking this but what is your relationship, really, with Leticia. Feels like you two are close," Ro asked.

It was deep into the night, the dim glow of the gentle night light nearby their beds. Ro wasn't able to sleep, or rather, his mind was still stuck on the happenings earlier in the morning.

"Why do you ask?" Sequence replied.

The two of them spoke in a hushed voice, and despite them being at a distance in their own bed, they were able to interpret each other without any problems.

'Will this guy go to bed already? I can't practice my routine if he doesn't sleep.'

"Are you dense? You know 'dense' right?"

"I have my own situation. That's all I can say."

"Is that so?" Ro's voice was barely audible.

'So stop asking about it.'

The night was cold. Much colder than those nights spent in the capital city.

"Alright. I won't ask about that. Then what is that super valuable thing you talked about earlier?"

"I can't show it to you either. Sorry."

"I guess I'm just a distant friend to you in the end."

'Yeah.'

"I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Good evening."

"You too."

Sequencee listened intently to his breathing. He waited more than an hour before confirming that he was knocked out. Then he sat up.

He undid the illusion magic and allowed the elemental bead to show.

"I'm I doing it wrong?"

Sequencee's expression contorted.

Was this the wrong method of practicing the fundamentals of magic? Having read countless books and acquired information from the high mages of the country, training elemental magics within these small compressed beads was what he thought to be the fastest method to master the elements.

If not for his system skill [Illusion Magic: Universal Haze], a training regime like this lasting nearly 18 hours per day wouldn't have been possible.

'No. No. Don't compare yourself to that elf. She must be at least a few hundred years old. If I practiced magic that long it's inevitable I would be able to reach that level too..'

Was it the truth of the world or an excuse?

'I'm a demon lord. I should be much better in terms of everything. My constitution should allow me to do some ridiculous things as mentioned in the legends yet..'

The only two things Sequencee had that others didn't were his asinine regeneration where even his organs could be reformed, and his absolutely bottomless mana.

'But what's the point of mana when I can't cast properly?'

Not being able to fight against strong monsters to train his battle senses has made him incredibly dull. He was better three years ago than he was now. His battle sense, instinct, and judgment had been worn down by the years.

So dull.

So incredibly dull.

Witty.

Scared.

Sequencee got off the bed and began to perform his usual sets of the thousands. An hour after that, he laid on the floor blankly staring towards the ceiling.

'How in the world I'm I going to kill my father if I'm this weak?'

A single elf was enough to take him down. Imagine an entire army of demons.

'Self-loathing is pointless. I need to take this and learn from it.'

Sequencee forced himself to swallow the tears.

He pulled open his luggage and took out the chest.

He stared at it, feeling his heart ache.