Lily’s expression shifted to confusion. “What? But then, what about the amnesia?”

“An obvious lie,” Zophia concluded. “She approached him with an ulterior motive.”

“No way!” Lily exclaimed in shock. Her voice then lowered to a relieved murmur, “I see... That’s good...”

“What’s good about this?!” Zophia asked.

“This isn’t good at all!” Lynga said.

“That woman played us all like fiddles!” Loewe pointed out.

At the pointed remarks, Lily fumbled for an answer. “Y-Yes, but... I’ve just been so happy since meeting Zenos and all of you, and... I’d be so sad if I lost all my memories of everyone...”

After a moment of dumbfounded silence, the demi-humans looked at each other and burst into laughter.

“Ah, I see,” Zophia said.

“Lily’s too good for this world,” Lynga added.

“I have plenty of memories I’d rather forget, personally,” Loewe said.

“I-I’m sorry!” Lily stammered.

The others smiled at her, and Zophia continued, “Well, it’s fine. That’s one of your strong points.”

“You’re fine just the way you are, Lily,” Lynga assured her.

“I wouldn’t want to lose the memories I’ve made since meeting Zenos either,” Loewe said.

Standing up, Zophia cracked her knuckles. “Now then, shall we start our counteroffensive?”

Carmilla called out to the demi-humans and Lily as they began to head out. “Wait. Where are you going?”

“Hmm? To the ruined city. That’s where the doc and the woman are, no?”

“They might not be, not anymore,” Carmilla pointed out. The women looked at her, puzzled, and she continued, “My guess is that the stroll in the ruins was just an excuse to take Zenos outside. I imagine she would not want such a drab stage for the final showdown. Setting the mood is important.”

“Setting the mood...” Zophia echoed.

“To win this war of feminine wiles, she would doubtless choose a location that is meaningful to both of them.”

“A meaningful location,” Lily repeated in a whisper, lifting her head. “The orphanage?”

The corners of Carmilla’s lips curled up and she nodded.

The demi-humans’ expressions hardened. “Lily, do you know where that is?” Zophia asked.

“Y-Yeah,” Lily replied. “I’ve heard about it before. It’s in the western mountains.”

“Then we’re heading there right away.”

Lily and the demi-humans dashed out as a light rain began to sprinkle down on them. Unperturbed by the drizzle, they raced toward the orphanage.

Carmilla, meanwhile, floated up to the second floor, looking out the window and chuckling. “The ladies’ war over Zenos is reaching its climax. Ah, the beauty of youth.”

She watched as their figures shrank in the distance, smiling faintly.

“Oh, bother. When was the last time I felt envious of the living...?”

Chapter 6: The Confession

The lively pitter-patter of drops falling from the sky onto the nearby lush foliage filled the air as Zenos and Liz walked along the mountains towering over the outskirts of the western part of the slums.

“Been a long time since I last came here,” Zenos mused as he stepped onto the moss-covered stone stairs, each step rousing a certain feeling—not quite nostalgia—in him.

“I’m sorry to make you come all the way here,” Liz said.

“If it helps jog your memory, it’s worth it,” he replied, turning to her. “But Liz, the Dalitz Institute is already...”

“Yes, I remember that much. But I feel like going there may help me remember something.”

“That’s fine, then, I suppose.”

The building was located halfway up the mountains, deliberately away from prying eyes. Naturally, there was no form of entertainment nearby, and the tall trees only added to the feeling of solitude. In the dim daylight, the two proceeded along the mountain path in silence.

“Hey, look,” Zenos said as he crouched down to pick up something that looked like a reddish-black stone.

“Oh, a hagul nut,” Liz said. “How nostalgic.” They looked like rocks at a glance, but were actually the nuts of hagul trees.

“We used to pick these when we had free time.”

“Yes! We had to, back then.”

Hagul nuts tasted faintly sweet when kept in the mouth for a long while. The ever-hungry children had always carried some in their pockets.

Zenos bent forward and picked several of the nuts up. “Here, for you, Liz.”

“For me? I don’t really need—”

“Come on. These were lifesavers back then. Maybe they’ll help trigger some memories.”

“Th-Thank you,” Liz stammered, staring at the nuts in her hand for a moment before tucking them away.

The two moved further up until they stopped at a rusted gate. They paused for a spell, then started slowly moving forward once more, crossing the iron gate as it swayed forlornly in the wind. Soon, a somewhat open area came into view.

“We’re here, huh...” Liz murmured.

“Yeah, but—”