“No patience, as usual. Don’t go getting ahead of yourself. I can’t put your emperor back how he was, but I’ve an idea of someone who might know the true nature of this power.”
“Do you really?!” Felix’s head jerked up. The look Lassara met him with was one of exasperation.
“Of course I’m sure. It’s your story that suggested it to me.”
“My story...?” Felix frowned, not following. “What do you mean?”
“Now, youngster, I don’t know why you’re running yourself ragged over this emperor, nor do I care to ask, but it is clear to me that your head has grown dull as a brick.”
Felix tried to think, but nothing came to him, so he waited for Lassara to continue. She gave a small shake of her head.
“Good grief. What am I to do with you? When Darmés used his arts to speak directly into your mind, didn’t Olivia Valedstorm say she’d seen it before? Specifically, that this ‘Z’ used it often?”
“Oh...” Felix felt his cheeks grow hot as he realized how stupid he had been. A small smile curled upon Lassara’s lips, but he could tell from the warmth in her eyes that it wasn’t mocking.
“There is a good chance that Olivia Valedstorm knows the nature of Darmés’s power. I can’t say what the future holds, but seeing as you mean to take temporary refuge in Fernest, we can assume you won’t be meeting her in battle for the time being. If you explained it to her, she just might help you.”
Felix was just thinking that Lassara had made a good point when Silky descended in front of his eyes, arms outstretched as though to bar him from going anywhere. Her face was screwed up in uncharacteristic fury.
“Felix, you can’t!” she cried. “You can’t have anything to do with that stupid cow.”
“With who?” Felix asked. “Are you calling Olivia a stupid cow?”
“I don’t care what she’s called!”
“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden...?”
“You just can’t!”
Felix saw that nothing more would get through to her. He couldn’t work out Silky’s vehement opposition, despite the fact that he was sure she had no connection to Olivia whatsoever. When he cocked his head in puzzlement, Lassara gave him a despairing look.
“You do worry me sometimes, youngster. Now, do you know where Olivia Valedstorm is? I’d like a word with the girl myself. She seems like an intriguing character.”
“After we separated at Listelein Castle, I don’t know where she went. Many days have passed since then, so she probably returned to her country.”
“I see. Then I suppose we must call upon the great fairy Silky Breeze.”
“I’ll never do it!” Silky said forcefully, talking over Lassara. Then she spun to face away from him so fast he thought he felt a breeze.
“Ah, so you can’t help Felix, yes, I see,” Lassara said. “Well, if you don’t want to, I’m not about to force you.”
Felix could see Silky as her face grew more and more agonized before his eyes.
“I would like to humbly point out that I never, ever said I can’t help Felix...”
“What was that? I’ve lived far too long, and it’s taken its toll on my ears. Care to say it again for me, louder?”
“Gah!” Silky stamped her foot furiously in the air.
Felix moved to face her directly. “Please,” he said. “Will you help me?”
Silky groaned helplessly. “O-Of course, Felix,” she said. “For you, I’ll do anything!” Tugging madly at her pretty, dusty-pink hair, Silky began to glow with a faint blue light. After a moment, she called out, “Lassara, the map!”
“Don’t you boss me around,” Lassara muttered as she spread out the map. Felix’s attention was immediately drawn to it.
“What is this?” he asked.
“Eh? Oh, I just sketched it to fill the time. What of it?”
Felix was no cartographer, but even he could tell that whatever Lassara said, the map had been plotted with breathtaking precision. Even his military maps, the ones not available to the general public, were nowhere close to its level of quality. It was the sort of thing a savvy trader might give their right hand for. No doubt any of the major merchants who plied their wares all over the continent would have happily paid a fortune for it.
“The cow is here.” Silky pointed with careless indifference to a place far to the south of Duvedirica, where the map showed a lake. It was surrounded by deep forests, and there wasn’t a single town or village nearby.
“What is she doing in a place like that...?” Felix wondered aloud. Beside him, Lassara stared agog at the map.
“Even with the fastest horse alive, it would take three weeks to get from the capital to where Olivia Valedstorm is now. It doesn’t add up. It doesn’t make sense...”
As the two of them puzzled over it, Silky said happily, “I suppose given she’s so far away, you won’t be able to see her anytime soon.”
“It seems so...” Felix agreed. “In any case, the Azure Knights will make for Fernest. I’m sure we’ll meet sooner or later.” Seeing Silky puff up her cheeks, Felix smiled nervously.
Though it was still a little better than running after shadows, the sense that there was now hope for saving Ramza made Felix feel as though a weight had been lifted from his chest.
“I’ve been wondering, Silky,” he said. “Why are you talking like that?”
“Huh? Why, because I learned that you prefer women who are well-mannered.” Stroking her hair back, Silky gazed up at him through her lashes. Felix was lost—as far as he could recall, he had never said any such thing. He glanced over at the likely source of this information just in time to see Lassara turn away with a look of studied innocence on her face. Felix sighed quietly, then turned back to look directly at Silky.
“Silky, I like the real you better by far.”
“Huh? You do?”
“I do.”
Silky gaped, then little by little, her fingers began to curl into fists of rage. Scarce moments later, she bore down on Lassara with a face like thunder.