Seeing how gentle Hayashi Maki was, Liliana nodded.
In the end, she chose to listen to him.
She might look a little airheaded, but she wasn't completely clueless. Unlike the temperamental Kiritaka, Hayashi Maki's closeness—and all the small, considerate things he did—made something in her heart flutter in a way she couldn't explain.
Most importantly, compared to a merchant like Kiritaka, Hayashi Maki was a real hero.
He was handsome, and he took such good care of her. Instinctively, she didn't want to reject him.
If poor Kiritaka knew what Liliana was thinking right now, he'd probably burst into tears on the spot.
He'd been a devoted simp for ages and hadn't even held her hand once—yet the moment Liliana met Hayashi Maki, she practically fell for him.
Anastasia, meanwhile, looked exasperated. She touched the fox-fur scarf around her neck and said irritably, "Hayashi Maki-san, you're not just bragging, are you? Making a high-purity, colorless mana crystal on the spot—how's that even possible? And…"
Emilia needing a colorless mana crystal was something her companion spirit "Echidna Fox" had told her. Anastasia had no reason to think her partner was lying.
Hayashi Maki didn't bother arguing.
He held out his palm. Alchemy—activate.
A mysterious magic circle spread open, and golden light bloomed in his hand. As the mana compressed, a transparent crystal—clear and shimmering—formed neatly in his palm.
"How is that possible…?" Anastasia shot to her feet, staring at the crystal like she'd seen a ghost.
Hayashi Maki smiled and offered it to her. "Here. It's yours."
Anastasia took it on reflex, examining it while quietly checking with the spirit at her neck.
Echidna Fox confirmed it: this was an extremely high-purity mana crystal—good enough to serve as a vessel.
Anastasia drew a slow breath, looking at Hayashi Maki with a complicated expression.
"…You're really just giving this to me?"
"Of course," Hayashi Maki said casually. "I said I'd give it to you, so I am. It's priceless to most people, but you saw it yourself—I can make these like they're nothing."
Mana crystals could store mana and act as casting materials. In the hands of a spirit like Beatrice, they could dramatically boost magic and combat ability.
But Beatrice's mana was supplied by Hayashi Maki now, and the "mana seed" inside her had already fixed the flaw of being an artificial spirit—she could absorb and store ambient mana on her own. For Beatrice, mana crystals were basically optional at this point.
Anastasia nodded seriously. "Then Ah'll accept it, and Ah thank you for the gift."
Hayashi Maki smiled—and then suddenly asked, "Anastasia, are you interested in learning magic?"
Anastasia's face stiffened.
"Magic? Ah'm interested, sure. But it's a shame—heaven gave me genius-level talent for business, and then cursed me with no talent for magic."
"Because of a defect in my body, Ah can't cast spells."
Hayashi Maki didn't tease her. He went straight to the point.
"If I'm bringing it up, I have a way to fix it. If you become a proper spirit arts user, your spells can be cast through your spirit."
Then he added, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "Before we talk about your condition, let me formally introduce someone."
He gestured toward the white-haired beauty.
"This lovely lady is the Witch of Greed—Echidna."
"…What?"
Anastasia stumbled back two steps, eyes locked on the elegant white-haired woman.
Echidna smiled lightly. "Nice to meet you. Do take care of me, lil' Anna~."
Anastasia's thoughts were a mess.
If the woman in front of her was the legendary Witch Echidna… then what on earth was the "Echidna Fox" by her side?
Before she could even process it, the scarf at her neck floated up on its own, shifting into a small white fox that landed on the floor. It stared at Echidna in shock.
"…It's you?"
Echidna waved a hand. "Don't be so nervous. I won't do anything to you. Stay by lil' Anna's side, just like you always have."
Emilia watched the whole scene, bewildered. "So… what's going on?"
Echidna answered calmly, "Just an experiment from long ago. Back then, I was researching how to create spirits—how to make a body that could contain a witch's soul."
"This little one is what remained after a failed attempt. I left a portion of my knowledge within it."
Anastasia's expression grew even more complex.
A huge part of her success had been thanks to her partner, Echidna Fox—yet now the creator of that partner was standing firmly on Hayashi Maki's side.
For a moment, Anastasia honestly felt like her entire royal-selection path was about to collapse.
She glanced at the sweet, oblivious Emilia and couldn't help feeling a pang of envy at the half-elf's absurd luck.
Echidna watched Anastasia think, the corners of her lips curving upward.
In truth, the "Echidna Fox" had only passed that mana crystal information along because Echidna had relayed it through the dream realm—setting up Anastasia's invitation, and this entire trip to Priestella.
She'd planted pieces on the board years ago.
Even Al's existence was part of it.
But ever since meeting Hayashi Maki, those schemes had lost their meaning.
Her interest was no longer chained to this broken, decaying world—she was looking beyond it, toward whatever other worlds Hayashi Maki might visit in the future… ideally even the divine realm.
She wanted to understand how a "goddess" like Aqua gained her power.
Hayashi Maki looked at Anastasia and extended the offer, using Echidna's nickname naturally.
"So, lil' Anna. Want to study with me? I can fix your defect."
Anastasia blinked. "As a merchant, Ah don't believe in getting something for nothing. So what do Ah have to pay in exchange for fixing my condition?"
"Simple," Hayashi Maki said. "Keep your cooperation with the Axis Church going."
"We're allies. I'm betting on your talent for bringing in wealth. I want our partnership to last."
"So—what's your answer, Anastasia-san?"
Anastasia sighed, a touch of helplessness in her expression.
She patted Mimi Pearlbaton's head beside her and said seriously, "You've really got me cornered."
"Fine. Help me fix my inability to cast magic, Hayashi Maki-san. In return, I'll bring the Axis Church even more wealth."
Hayashi Maki grinned. "Then… happy partnership."
"Happy partnership," Anastasia echoed.
They shook hands—an unspoken confirmation that their alliance would only deepen from here.
For Anastasia, it was a concession.
She couldn't ignore Hayashi Maki's side anymore—his power worried her even more than the Sword Saint.
Even her lifelong companion had been "arranged" by the other side; at that point, what choice did she really have?
Still—Anastasia wouldn't give up that easily.
Because in her own eyes, compared to the innocent Emilia, she was far better suited to be the next queen of Lugunica.