After receiving the unexpected visitors, Rachel rested for a while and began preparing to go out after finishing her dinner.

“Where are you going at this hour, my lady?”

Catrin carefully asked, concerned about Rachel preparing to go out so late.

“I’m going to the Magic Tower. I’ll go alone, so you don’t need to come with me.”

“What? But how can you go out without an escort? It’s already late.”

Rachel laughed softly seeing Catrin’s surprised expression.

“Catrin, I’ve been to the Witch’s Forest. I can go by myself. It would just be cumbersome to go with several people. Instead, could you get me a robe to wear?”

“…I’ll bring the robe for now. But couldn’t you reconsider going alone, my lady?”

“No. Don’t worry. I won’t come back too late. Nothing will happen.”

Rachel spoke again to reassure Catrin. Still, Catrin’s face showed hesitation.

Meanwhile, Rachel examined the robes brought by another maid and chose the most modest-looking one. Catrin draped the robe Rachel had selected around her body.

“Then let me follow you and wait in the carriage. That way I won’t disturb you, wouldn’t that be alright?”

“No. I’m not taking a carriage.”

“What? You’re going to walk? Even though it’s quite a distance?”

When Catrin asked in alarm, Rachel nodded.

“That’s what I want. Really, nothing will happen. So don’t worry.”

After comforting Catrin again, Rachel left through the mansion’s entrance. Then she turned around and waved her hand at the hesitant Catrin.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Catrin watched Rachel walking away and hesitantly spoke.

“Please be careful, my lady!”

* * *

Hearing Catrin’s voice from a distance, Rachel smiled briefly before returning to her normal expression.

Only then did she begin to quicken her pace.

Thanks to using body speed enhancement magic, Rachel was able to reach the mansion’s main gate in less than three minutes.

“My lady? No, I didn’t see you coming…”

“Where are you going at this hour?”

The gatekeepers guarding the entrance opened their eyes wide when they saw Rachel. To them, she seemed to have appeared suddenly.

“I’m going to the Magic Tower. Could you open the gate?”

“Yes, but are you going alone? Your attendants…”

“I’m going by myself.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to take at least a knight with you?”

“I don’t want to, it’s troublesome. I’ll be fine going alone.”

“Very well.”

The gatekeepers couldn’t argue further against Rachel’s firm attitude.

When the gate opened, Rachel stepped outside and pulled up the hood attached to her robe.

[Where are you going?]

Creon asked Rachel.

‘First, I’m going to the Magic Tower. If the Tears of Licorice is something that can free you, then it must have some special ability. Such items usually pass through the Magic Tower.’

[I know that from what I’ve heard. But isn’t there too little information for humans to identify it?]

‘That’s why I need the Magic Tower’s help even more. Mages regularly report updates and trade items they’ve acquired through the Magic Tower. Sometimes people also request the Magic Tower to verify the authenticity of magical items. So if it’s an unusual item, nine out of ten times it will end up at the Magic Tower.’

[I really hope it’s there.]

Rachel smiled faintly at the grumpy comment that contained not even a hint of expectation.

Using body speed enhancement magic as she had done earlier, Rachel left the high-end residential area and entered the bustling district.

The Magic Tower was located near the busiest square in the imperial capital.

The large, magnificent building occupied a prominent place in the busy area, so adventurers and tourists occasionally came to see the building and request tours.

Rachel slowly walked into the splendid Magic Tower building.

“What brings you here?”

A Magic Tower staff member asked Rachel. Rachel slightly pulled back the hood she was wearing.

“I came to check if there’s an item I’m looking for among those reported to the Magic Tower.”

“Ah! You’re Rachel Pluret. Please wait here for a moment.”

The staff member who recognized Rachel’s face bowed deeply and immediately left his post.

Rachel put her hood back on and waited for the staff member to return.

Despite it being after dinner time, the Magic Tower was bustling with people.

That’s when it happened.

Someone approached Rachel as she was scanning the crowd with a bored gaze.

“Rachel?”

Rachel turned around at the familiar voice coming from behind her.

“Edward?”

It was Viola’s brother, Edward Hestein, who had visited the Pluret mansion with Viola earlier that day.

“We meet again here. What brings you here at this hour?”

Rather, Rachel hadn’t expected to meet Edward at the Magic Tower, so she opened her eyes wide and asked him.

Edward smiled and spoke.

“I stopped by for some business. But what about you? What are you doing here at this hour? You seem to be alone.”

“I came because I’m looking for something.”

“Looking for something? What is it? If it’s something I can help with, I will.”

Edward showed an eager attitude. Knowing he was someone with a kind nature who liked to help others, Rachel didn’t find his attitude burdensome at all.

“I’m looking for something called the Tears of Licorice.”

“The Tears of Licorice? Do you have any information besides the name?”

“All I know is that it’s a transparent jewel. So I came to the Magic Tower wondering if someone here might know about it, or if someone had registered such an item.”

“Somehow I feel like I’ve heard of it somewhere…”

Edward tilted his head and muttered.

Rachel opened her eyes wide at his words.

“You know about it?”

When Rachel looked at him with expectant eyes, Edward laughed awkwardly.

“No, I just vaguely feel like I’ve heard it somewhere. I don’t remember clearly enough to be of any help.”

“That’s okay. It can’t be helped.”

Rachel gave up her expectations and replied.

“I’m sorry. I guess I made you hopeful with my careless words.”

“If you happen to remember or hear anything, please let me know. I’m asking you as a favor.”

“I will. But is it an important item?”

“Yes, to me it is.”

The Tears of Licorice was exactly what Rachel had to give to Creon in exchange for turning back time through their contract.

The item that would release Creon, who was trapped in a jewel due to a curse, into the outside world.

Creon had spent an unimaginable amount of time trying to obtain that item from Rachel’s perspective.

He had been sealed about a thousand years before Rachel’s time.

But it couldn’t be said that he had simply been sealed for a thousand years.

Because while giving time back to his contractors, Creon himself had also endured that time.

“Miss Rachel Pluret, thank you for waiting. The Tower Master requests to see you. What would you like to do?”

The staff member who arrived belatedly bowed to Edward before asking Rachel.

Rachel glanced at Edward and then nodded.

“I’ll go. And I have an item I’m looking for, could you register it?”

“Yes. If you tell me, I’ll register it.”

“It’s a jewel called the Tears of Licorice. It might be known by a different name…”

The staff member who was taking notes hesitated and looked up.

“Are there no other characteristics? Any specific appearance or color that could help identify it?”

“Nothing besides it being a transparent jewel. Just let me know if any transparent jewels are registered.”

“I will do so. Now, please follow me this way.”

“Okay.”

Just as Rachel was about to follow the staff member.

“Rachel, can I come along too?”

Edward suddenly asked.

“Together?”

“Yes. I was actually here to see Randolph.”

Randolph was the name of the current Magic Tower Master. Rachel hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“That’s fine, then.”

“Thank you.”

“No, there’s nothing to thank me for. You said you were going to meet him anyway.”

Rachel shrugged as she replied and followed the staff member. Edward also walked alongside her.

“I didn’t know you could recite two magic spells. Now it’s three. Before that, you didn’t show any signs of it at all.”

Rachel briefly glanced at him in response to Edward’s words.

“Even though I could use two, they were often incomplete, so I was embarrassed to mention it. But it seems I learned something after experiencing actual combat in the Witch’s Forest this time.”

“Still, that’s impressive. It must have been hard to figure all that out by yourself. From now on, if you have any questions, just ask me. I’ll do my best to teach you.”

A kind voice with a gentle tone.

Rachel was momentarily silent at the sight of Edward, who remained unchanged from the past to the present.

Then she stared at him intently.

“What’s wrong?”

He tilted his head, puzzled by Rachel’s gaze. His pink hair, the same color as Viola’s, swayed softly. In his gentle teal eyes, no negative emotions could be found.

Rachel somehow felt uncomfortable looking into his eyes.

“Aren’t you… jealous?”

Though she found it amusing to ask such a question herself, she wanted to confirm it once.