“I prepared these for you, Lord Nyne…” Lu waved a feather, smiling awkwardly. He must still be feeling troubled about losing the feather. Finding his intention both admirable and a little pitiful, Nyne smiled. “All the feathers are lovely and beautiful.” “Right? These are just samples—I’ve had dozens of each kind delivered to your sanctum.”…

At Nyne’s words, Seinka Hoan bowed and said, “Forgive me, Sha,” and stepped back. The more he looked, the stranger and more beautiful the feather seemed. The feather and shaft were black as if they had sliced through the night, but the tip glowed with a golden light, as if made from gold. While the…

Amon’s steps headed toward the lakeside. Each time he moved, fireflies fluttered up into the air, flickering brightly. Priests followed the two from a distance, holding lanterns. Then, when Nyne gestured, they quietly stood still and waited in place. When the wind blew, Amon’s hair swayed this way and that. Light from a magical device…

Despite saying he would “surely see you again,” Lan Gwen made no attempt to request another audience in the days that followed. Not that Nyne would have accepted it, but still—his silence was irritating. Fortunately, Nyne was soon too distracted to dwell on Gwen. Lu had been more clingy than usual. “Lord Nyne! I made…

Trembling and unsure what to do, Maz was struck sharply with a riding crop by one of Nyne’s priests before she stumbled to her feet. Her face pale, she led the way to her quarters, a stark contrast to the confidence with which she had accused Gwen earlier. Her shoulders hunched, her hands shook. At…

“Lord Nyne, a dispute resolution request has come from the Lotus Pavilion.” “Oh? It’s been a while.” There were dozens of Lesha residing in the Lotus Pavilion. Naturally, where people live, conflict follows, and the Lotus Pavilion was no exception. Usually, high-ranking priests mediated such issues, but if that didn’t suffice, the matter would be…

When they arrived at the sanctum, Lu, Popo, and the attending priests were waiting under the scorching sun, drenched in sweat. As Nyne stepped down from the palanquin, they prostrated and greeted him with the utmost courtesy. With a gesture, Nyne told them to rise, and Lu quickly approached. “Lord Nyne!” Like a puppy seeing…

“I put a feather in your hair.” “…Pardon?” Nyne, unable to understand, asked in confusion. “That part caught my eye. That’s all. Since you seem to dislike it, don’t display that artist’s work again.” “Yes, Sha. I shall obey.” Osen Iyad’s face looked visibly relieved as he responded promptly. He, too, had probably been uncomfortable…

“Would you try playing that piece from earlier?” Me? Nyne nearly asked but remembered it wouldn’t be proper, so he sat up instead. He accepted the lyre from Amon and held it to his chest. Having learned from the ritual priests, he knew how to play at least simple pieces. He plucked the strings slowly.…

“Lord Amon, ah, it hurts……” “I’ll make it feel good soon.” Amon once again took the now-warming earlobe into his mouth, wetting it as he whispered.Soon, the half-slipped-out member slid back in roughly with a thud! sound.A scream burst from Nyne’s mouth.Amid the pain, a lightning-like pleasure struck the crown of his head. His mind,…