A week had passed since the fight with Remilia. Things had settled into a quiet routine for me and Mystia. Every night, we would open her grilled mprey stand, serving food to the locals. Mystia, as usual, carried on with her cheerful energy, but whenever the weight of her work and the pressures of the day started to get to her, she would sing, her voice a calming balm for both herself and those around her.

  One evening, as I was setting up the stand, Keine came by, her usual stern expression softened by the gentle hum of evening light. "Carl," she greeted me, her tone as polite as always. "Could I ask your help with something."

  I raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What is it this time, Keine?"

  She expined that there had been some issues with her school, and she needed a bit of extra assistance, or more like the kids wanted to see me. It wasn't anything too complicated, just some simple tricks to liven up the lessons. The children always enjoyed when I demonstrated magic tricks, and she figured it would be a nice change of pace for them.

  I agreed, and soon found myself visiting the school more often, teaching the children small tricks, like how to pull a coin from behind someone's ear or making small objects vanish and reappear. Watching them try to replicate what I'd shown them was always a bit of fun, and I could tell they were eager to show off their new skills.

  It was on one of these days, after I'd finished a short session with the students, that a guard approached me. He seemed a little out of breath, as though he'd been rushing to find me. "Excuse me, Mr. Carl," he said, bowing slightly. "Lady Akyuu has requested to meet with you. She wishes to speak with you."

  I paused at the mention of her name. Akyuu. I had heard of her from Keine before—a name tied to the Hieda family, a prominent family in Gensokyo. Why would someone like her want to meet with me, I wondered.

  Curious, I told the guard that I would follow him. Before I left, I turned to Keine, expining what had come up. "It seems Lady Akyuu wants to meet with me," I said. "I'll be back shortly."

  Keine gave me a nod, her usual calmness in pce. "Go ahead, Carl. Just be careful."

  With that, I followed the guard, wondering what Lady Akyuu could want from someone like me.

  After following the guard for a while, we finally arrived at the Hieda estate, a grand yet elegant house that carried an air of history. Just as we approached the entrance, the door opened, and someone stepped out.

  The man was tall and broad, with the build of a bear. His presence alone was enough to make anyone think twice before crossing him. His rough, unshaven face held a stern expression, but there was something familiar about him.

  The guard beside me seemed to recognize him immediately. With a polite bow, he greeted the man. "Kirisame-san."

  Kirisame? My interest piqued.

  The guard continued, "Did you come here to apologize for her?"

  The man, Kirisame, let out a sigh, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. "Yeah... That damn girl's been stealing people's things again. I should've dragged her here and made her apologize to every single one of them." His tone was frustrated, but there was a trace of concern in his words.

  Then, his sharp gaze fell on me. He looked me up and down before narrowing his eyes. "And who's this young man? Dressed weird, like Marisa."

  My mouth twitched. Did he just compare me to Marisa? Does he think I go around stealing too?

  Suppressing my irritation, I introduced myself calmly. "I'm Mirage Carl, a magician."

  The moment I said 'magician,' his expression soured. His face twisted in disapproval as he crossed his arms. "Magic again? Why do kids these days love magic so much?" He huffed, shaking his head in annoyance before stomping off, grumbling to himself.

  I watched him leave, slightly amused but mostly confused. As his rge figure disappeared into the distance, I turned to the guard. "Wait... Why was he apologizing for Marisa?"

  The guard looked at me as if I had asked something obvious. "He's Lady Marisa's father."

  I froze. "Marisa... has a father?"

  The realization hit me like a danmaku to the face. I had just uncovered one of Marisa's secrets. I'd never heard her mention a father before. Now, I was definitely going to ask her about this the next time I saw her.

  The guard, unfazed by my reaction, cleared his throat. "Lady Akyuu has been waiting. We should go inside."

  Still processing what I had just learned, I nodded and followed him in.