"I didn't expect you to be this strong, Novia."
In the deepest part of the first level of the seventh labyrinth of Elcatraz, the hall was surrounded by shallow water, barely allowing visibility of the floor. At the center lay a blue beast that looked vaguely like a horse—its meat had already been carved away by Manaka.
"Alright, let's eat and take a break."
Manaka cast projection magecraft to conjure objects from empty space. A metal frying pan appeared in her hand, followed by a water element conversion spell that instantly filled the pan, then conjured fire beneath it.
"We've got to cook everything before it disappears," she said with a bashful smile. "The ingredients are fine. Along the way, I picked out a few 'edible parts' from the phantasmal beasts and chimeras you defeated and carried them with me. You need to eat more and restore your mana, after all. You're borrowing the power of some Servant right now, aren't you, Novia?"
In this "demon cave," phantasmal beasts unseen in modern times roamed freely. But Manaka didn't care about that. What mattered most to her was the time she could spend alone with Novia—to grow closer. That alone was enough.
"Yeah, something like that."
Originally, Novia had planned to summon either Nero or Melusine during the moment the Subspecies Holy Grail War activated—right when the giant serpent appeared—using himself as a medium. But it had failed. No Servant had manifested.
Or rather, one had. The magical current had arrived, but Novia had absorbed it in an instant, as if it had never come. It was like pouring a dried-up ocean current into a river: not entirely useless, but barely effective—a drop in the bucket.
Fortunately, the beasts here had been provided by Wolfgang Faust as fodder for Masterless Servants to replenish their mana. So Novia could slowly recover by consuming them. In his current state, he was more like a pseudo-Servant, and Manaka naturally became his Master. Yet for some reason, her mana wasn't transferring to him.
Even though Novia's powers weren't at full capacity, they were more than enough to wipe out the phantasmal beasts here. Navigating dark passages, dismantling traps, crushing monsters—it was effortless.
"All done! Novia, try it and see how it tastes."
Using edible parts from monsters defeated along the way, Manaka cooked a stew with magical catalysts like dryad roots as vegetables. The result looked like a vegetable-and-meat soup.
She watched Novia expectantly, wondering what he'd think of it. She hoped he'd like it. It had been over twenty years since she last cooked a proper meal, but… it should be okay, right?
In the past, Manaka would have locked away thoughts she didn't want to face—willfully ignoring them. But now, even without locking anything away, she truly didn't know if her cooking was good. That feeling was strangely novel to her—second only to the private plan she'd already decided on: to bring Novia home with her.
"...Does it taste good?"
"You forgot the salt."
Novia didn't directly say it was bad, but Manaka knew the answer the moment she realized—she'd actually forgotten the salt.
"S-sorry, I was too impatient and didn't think of that... You don't have to force yourself to eat it, Novia..."
Manaka gently tugged on Novia's sleeve as he continued chewing, looking apologetic.
"It's fine. Just remember next time. It's not that it's inedible—it just tastes bland."
He was merely stating a fact. Though salt existed in the Roman Empire, it was so precious that only the wealthy had abundant access. Commoners or the poor could only afford limited amounts.
Back in the early days, before he and Lucius reached Rome, Novia had lived off similarly bland meals. So it wasn't that hard for him to adapt. Besides, it still looked like food.
After their meal, the two continued to the second level of the labyrinth. The staircase was tucked quietly in the corner of the hall—a long descent.
At the final bend of the stairs, they entered the second level… and saw someone's back.
"So the Clock Tower has already sent a mage to deal with this."
The purple-haired girl turned toward them with an emotionless expression.
She gave off a cold, inorganic vibe—devoid of all human warmth, as if she were a humanoid piece of metal.
Sion looked at the two figures in front of her. Instinctively, her mind retrieved data.
Manaka Sajo, eldest daughter of the Eastern Sajo family in Japan. A 37-year-old woman who could only survive thanks to her younger sister studying at the Clock Tower.
But right now, she didn't match the rumors of being a disheveled, talentless magus. Instead, she radiated an effortless elegance and brimming magical energy. Clearly, rumors could not be trusted. Perhaps she was the ace secretly nurtured by the Sajo family—or the Clock Tower itself.
As for the person next to her—
Sion fell silent.
Her heart rate inexplicably accelerated.
Love at first sight?
No, that wasn't it. Sion believed it was just hormones—phenylethylamine, dopamine, and other chemicals reacting strangely to the ambient magical energy.
There was no way. She wouldn't—couldn't—feel that way. No reason to.
"Cease Line-2 Process."
She mentally sealed off that line of thought. Her gaze returned to the silver-haired boy.
"You. What's your name?"
Sion asked seriously. Her sharp eyes focused directly on Novia, as if he were the only thing in the world that mattered. Nothing else existed in her vision.
"Shouldn't you give your name first before asking someone else's?"
To Sion, his smile felt oddly familiar—like he already knew her. It made her frown ever so slightly. Her heart wavered with an unfamiliar irritation, but she quickly steadied herself and continued.
"If it's a name you want, then—Sion Eltnam Atlasia."
"I'm Manaka Sajou~," Manaka interjected with a smile.
Her sweet, delicate voice didn't quite match her age, but suited her appearance. If not for the strange undertone in her smile, Sion might've mistaken her for a fairytale princess speaking to her.
Too bad… there was an unmistakable trace of hostility.
"Mmm, nice to meet you, Manaka Sajo."
Though she replied sincerely, Sion never took her eyes off Novia. She stared like a predator sizing up its prey—intense, unrelenting. The look made Manaka grit her teeth.
To challenge a refined lady like her, right to her face? Unforgivable.
"Novia. That's my name."
In that moment, Sion's expression remained unreadable—but her gaze grew visibly sharper.