Vol. 9 Ch. 10: He Kept Sending Invitations Every Year

Having parted from Elliott and Benjamin, Monica moved somewhere less crowded, checked that no one was watching, and looked up at the tree.

"Nero... are you there?"

"Yeah, I’m here."

Nero climbed down from the tree and leaped onto Monica’s shoulder. Unlike Rin, who was disguised as a little bird, Nero was a cat, and having him ride on her was fairly heavy, but there was no helping it if they wanted to speak in low voices.

"Hey, Nero, do you think you can find Cyril-sama with your magic-sensing ability?"

Cyril Ashley had a constitution that absorbed magic. For that reason, he always wore a brooch that expelled excess magic from his body. In other words, the concentration of magic was slightly higher around him.

Monica hoped Nero, who was skilled at sensing magic, might be able to detect that, but Nero swished his tail back and forth with a troubled look.

"Mmm... if he’s not using magic, that’ll be a bit tough. I can’t sense weak magic, y’know. I can tell once we get close enough, though."

"Would you help me look for Cyril-sama?"

"Sure, no problem. What do you need that chilly dude for?"...