Rustle…
"Enemies."
Zair rose instantly, staring sharply at the large shrub in the edge of the clearing.
"Relax. They're allies."
At Atticus' calm response, Zair visibly eased, though a trace of caution still waited on his face as two radiant golden figures stepped into the clearing.
"See? I told you. This is how true bonds are ford."
The larger man declared proudly to the petite girl beside him, but she only shrugged, as though it were obvious.
"That's only natural. The great Ozerra would have found him too if we were bonded."
"What exists between bond and I goes beyond a re bond! It is sothing greater. The grand phenonon known as camaraderie."
"Then Ozerra also has this thing called camaraderie!"
She shot back, folding her small arms firmly across her chest.
"Hmph! Lies. True camaraderie isn't sothing you declare, it's sothing you prove. Like being able to find him anywhere in the world."
"Ozerra can do that too!"
"I am your elder brother. That alone makes my words truth."
"That's a lie! You're only a few decades older than ! We're basically the sa age!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
Atticus and the siblings could only stare in silence as the two continued arguing like the rest of the world simply didn't exist.
"Ahem."
"Huh?"
They both turned toward Atticus at the sa ti as he cleared his throat.
"Ah, bond. It is good to see you again."
"Yes, comrade. The great Ozerra is pleased to see you."
'Is she… trying to pretend we're close?'
Ozerra smiled smugly at Atticus, like they were longti companions reunited after ages apart.
"…yeah."
Atticus quickly shifted his attention to the silverhaired siblings, hoping to redirect the awkward mont.
"Huh? Who are they?"
"They look weak."
Ozeroth and Ozerra narrowed their eyes at them, openly scrutinizing their existence.
"They're with us now. Introduce yourselves."
"…I am Zair. This is my sister, Lyra."
The golden siblings frowned slightly as their attention settled on Lyra.
"…Is sothing wrong with her?"
"Huh?"
Zair frowned and turned toward his sister. Her eyes were shining brightly as she stared at the Ozeroth and Ozerra, a faint trail of drool slipping from the corner of her mouth.
"No…"
"You're both incredible!"
Before Zair could stop her, she rushed forward, stopping right before Ozeroth and Ozerra as she stared at them with blazing excitent.
"You're two completely separate individuals, yet you awakened the sa true wills! How is that even possible? And what would happen if those wills were combined?"
"…You can perceive our greatness?"
"As expected."
Ozeroth and Ozerra lifted their chins proudly, as though such admiration was the only natural response. As Lyra continued fawning over them, Zair was eventually forced to step in and drag his sister away.
Atticus silently scooped another spoonful of food into his mouth, frowning as he felt Ozeroth and Ozerra's gazes on him.
"…what?"
"What are you doing?"
Ozeroth asked, his brow deeply furrowed.
"Eating."
The siblings exchanged a glance before turning back to him and speaking in unison.
"…What?"
"…just try it."
At Atticus' gesture, Lyra quickly poured out two servings and handed them over. Ozeroth and Ozerra stared down at the brownish sludge with expressions of pure disgust.
"Bond… are you absolutely certain this is safe to consu?"
"This crude substance is unworthy of even lesser beings, let alone soone of my stature."
Their expressions were one of utter disgust. "…Since when did you two beco cowards? Just try it."
"What?"
"Cowards!?"
The two gritted their teeth at the insult, then with hardened resolve shoved a full spoon into their mouths.
"…!!"
Their eyes widened, staring at the brownish sludge with disbelief. They took another bite, then another, and it wasn't long before they cleared their plates.
"Sister…"
"…Big bro…"
They muttered, staring at the empty plates like they couldn't comprehend what had just happened.
"See? I told you."
At Atticus' words, the two nodded absentmindedly.
"…Who prepared this?"
Their expressions turned grave as their eyes shifted between the siblings, like the answer to this question carried imnse importance.
"…that would be ."
"You…"
They fixed their eyes on Lyra, who was blushing furiously.
"Was… was it truly that good?"
"Good?"
The golden siblings frowned.
"It was exceptional."
They glanced at one another, then nodded as though they had reached a unanimous decision.
"…Rejoice. From this mont onward, you will serve as our divine chef."
Lyra blinked repeatedly in confusion.
…
Several minutes later, the two had fully made themselves comfortable and taken their seats. It was only after finishing nurous bowls that Atticus finally turned toward them.
"Did you encounter them?"
Ozeroth's entire deanor turned detached instantly, while Ozerra fell silent.
"No."
Ozeroth shook his head.
"I was hoping to run into that filthy pig again, but it seems we were unlucky. I only hope they're still in the competition."
"They are."
"You know where they are?"
Ozeroth imdiately sat upright, his golden light rising sharply.
"No. From what I can tell, we're not the only ones looking for them. They seed completely intent on capturing Ozerra, so I doubt they'd leave the competition on their own."
Another possibility was that they had encountered soone beyond their ability to handle and had been forced out. 'That's also unlikely.'
The image of that butler surfaced in his mind. He had faced the so called geniuses of the major factions, yet none of them had ever radiated the sa level of danger that man radiated.
"Ozerra."
Atticus turned toward her.
"About your mother's queen guard… tell more about them. What makes them different from the others?"
"…It's their aspect."
"Their aspect?"
"Yes. Every mber of the queen's guard awakened a true will, but that alone isn't enough to join. The deciding factor is the nature of their aspect. As far as I know, every one of them possesses an aspect suited for killing."
'Aspect huh.'
Not only were they all true willers, but their aspects were apparently dangerous. Atticus had only recently learned that aspects were intrinsically tied to one's will. As true willers, their wills were already of superior quality. Combined with powerful and lethal aspects, it wasn't difficult to understand why they were so feared.
"Em…"
They turned toward Lyra, who was awkwardly scratching her chin.
"What exactly is happening…?"
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