Amy: "If you cause trouble here, you'll be in trouble too. All the guests downstairs are drug addicts, and they're your biggest source of income. If you want to sue, go ahead. But we won't just sit back and do nothing. This place will be shut down."
Falcoa: "Heh, is that all you're relying on? Sorry, but no one on this island dares to mess with me."
Amy: "It's a different story on the mainland."
As Amy's eyes began to glow red, Falcoa finally realized the seriousness of the situation.
'Red eyes. She's a Karmis?'
There was no way Falcoa wouldn't know about the Karmis family, whose name was well-known across the continent.
Their ability to save a specific state and restore it at any time.
'So that's why the drugs didn't work…'
They were immune to most mental magic, and not even drugs could intoxicate them.
That was why the Karmis family excelled in various fields.
'So the loop never worked on her from the beginning? That girl knew everything and followed me here. She knows the ins and outs of this world too well. Is it because she's a Karmis?'
Moreover, as a first-class noble, if her family intervened, it wasn't impossible for the kingdom he had built over five years to crumble.
The money he made from distributing the loop was enormous.
Even Falcoa, who was far from sane, was sensitive about money because without it, he couldn't buy the loop.
With his last shred of pride, Falcoa spoke.
Falcoa: "Heh! You arrogant brat. I'll definitely pay you back for this humiliation!"
Amy: "Do it if you can. But you'd better be careful the next time we meet. Now that things have come to this, I'm thinking of having some real fun without worrying about school."
Amy left the table and joined her friends.
Amy: "Sorry for making you worry. Let's go now."
Not wanting to stay in this place a moment longer, they immediately turned and headed back to the surface.
Though employees guarded every passage, no one dared to stop them.
As they stepped out of the bar, the air felt distinctly different.
Tess spread her arms and took a deep breath of the night air.
Tess: "Ah, this feels good. Thanks to Amy, we really got to tour the place. We went from the top of the palace, the most famous spot on Galliant Island, all the way to the underground."
Rian agreed.
Rian: "Hahaha! That's true. We even went to the beach, the harbor, and the commercial district. I guess we've seen everything except the ruins?"
Amy, surprised, asked.
Amy: "What? You guys went to the harbor too?"
Rian: "Yeah. Shirone said he caught the organization members quickly. We ran like crazy. If it weren't for the passionate coachman, we wouldn't have made it on time."
Amy and Shirone locked eyes.
She felt a little awkward because of what had happened underground, but thanks to that, the lingering resentment had disappeared.
Shirone: "Amy, sorry for being late. I'll explain on the way back. There was an accident on the way here."
Amy: "Hmph, I'm not really interested. Why should I listen to that? Because of you, I even missed dinner. What's this?"
Shirone: "Are you still mad?"
Though her anger had already subsided, Amy thought it wouldn't be so bad to keep things this way.
Without such excuses, dealing with Shirone would feel really strange.
Amy: "Let's get this straight. Thanks for coming to help, but I wasn't captured. I went with them for personal reasons. Even if you hadn't helped, those guys wouldn't have been a match for me."
Rian: "Haha! Of course. Who would worry about Amy Karmis, the top graduate in our class?"
Amy: "Hmph, whatever… As long as you know. That's all I'm saying."
Tess laughed.
At first, their personalities had been frustrating, but with each step, she began to understand the cautious nature of a mage.
Rian rubbed his stomach and said.
Rian: "I'm hungry. Should we grab some late-night snacks on the way back?"
Of course, since Tess wasn't a mage, she hugged Rian with all her heart.
Tess: "Late-night snacks? Yes! I love it! Yay!"
Jis could only head home after midnight, having finished cleaning up the bar.
After being beaten, stressed, and overworked, his body felt as heavy as if he were carrying steel beams.
But he could endure it because of the relief that the worst-case scenario hadn't happened.
Amy had escaped Falcoa's clutches safely, and he hadn't suffered any harm either. He had only done what he was told, so even Falcoa wouldn't have had a reason to retaliate.
'If it weren't for her, I might have died.'
Even now, Amy's face was as vivid as if he had just seen her in person.
Among all the people he had met, no one was as beautiful as her, but it wasn't just because of that.
'Why did she help me?'
To her, Jis was just one of the illegal touts on the island. They hadn't even had a good transaction, and the emotional rift between them had deepened.
Naturally, the blond boy who had stormed into the bar palace came to mind.
'Shirone. He said he was a commoner too.'
At the time, he had been too scared to intervene, but he clearly remembered what Shirone had said.
Unlike other nobles, who would take a step back when their school background was mentioned, Shirone was clearly different.
'If it were me… could I have done that?'
He thought he understood a little. Why Amy had partnered with Shirone to come to the island, why she had risked herself to help a mere tout like him.
"Tch!"
Jis kicked a stone on the roadside.
"You're really putting on airs."
What hurt the most was the sad smile Amy had shown in the carriage.
Jis, with his sharp intuition, was certain that Shirone would never understand the meaning behind that smile. It was a glimpse of her true feelings, shown only because he was no one to her.
"Well, it's fine as long as it turned out okay. I'll forget about it now."
By the time he arrived home, he straightened his clothes and carefully opened the door.
"Huh? You're still up?"
Seeing the candlelight deep in the room, it seemed his younger sister had been waiting for him.
She was the type to turn off the candle even in her dreams, so this was unusual.
Yuna: "Brother, why are you so late? Do you know how worried I was? I thought something had happened!"
Jis: "Yuna, why are you still up? What about tomorrow?"
Yuna: "How could I sleep when you hadn't come home? What happened?"
Jis: "No, it's nothing. I was just busy."
Jis sat down in front of Yuna.
She wasn't just his flesh and blood; she was someone who wouldn't be out of place anywhere. Though she hadn't been formally educated, she was wise and kind-hearted.
Jis: "Sorry. I'm really late, aren't I?"
Yuna was Jis's pride.
That's why he couldn't let her live the same shabby life as him.
He didn't wish for success, but she was someone who could meet a good man and live a happy life.
Yuna: "But brother, why do you look so haggard? Be honest. You can't fool me. If you don't tell me the truth, I won't make breakfast tomorrow."
Jis: "Hahaha! Oh, I'm scared. It's just been a tiring day. My pride took a hit, but I'm fine now."
Yuna: "Ugh, that pride of yours is always taking hits. It's probably rotten by now. Anyway, go wash up first. You reek of sweat."
Jis's gaze softened.
Looking at her, he felt at ease. It must be because she was family.
Even if his life wasn't as grand as others', what did it matter? As long as Yuna was there, his life was just as complete as anyone else's.
Jis: "Don't worry about anything. I'm here."
As Jis hugged her, Yuna screamed in disgust.
Yuna: "Ugh, the smell! I told you to wash up first."
Jis: "Yuna, I'm going to become the ruler of the harbor."
Yuna: "Tch! Are you still on about that? What's the ruler of the harbor? No one would even recognize you."
Jis: "Haha, that's true."
"...."
After a moment of thought, Yuna chuckled and leaned her head against Jis's chest.
In truth, she didn't dislike her brother's sweat. Every drop of it had been shed for her sake.
Yuna: "I hope that day comes soon."
"...Yeah."
Jis looked out the window at the moon.
Perhaps it was occupational hazard, but he thought it would be perfect for a night view.
Jis: "Yuna, I'm going to become the ruler of the harbor."
Yuna: "Tch! Are you still on about that? What's the ruler of the harbor? No one would even recognize you."
Jis: "Haha, that's true."
"...."
After a moment of thought, Yuna chuckled and leaned her head against Jis's chest.
In truth, she didn't dislike her brother's sweat. Every drop of it had been shed for her sake.
Yuna: "I hope that day comes soon."
"...Yeah."
Jis looked out the window at the moon.
Perhaps it was occupational hazard, but he thought it would be perfect for a night view.