She is not an investigator.

Like time itself, it is very long.

"We can probably become very good friends."

"perhaps?"

"Ah."

Igris couldn't help but smile at Tina's curious gaze.

"But friends always have to part ways eventually, right? Because of some things, I have to leave temporarily, and I'm afraid I won't have the chance to go back and see her again..."

"It seems like a real shame."

For some reason, Tina also became somewhat sad. Perhaps it was because she was born with a strong sense of empathy? Or perhaps she was simply affected by Igris's heavy mood.

"See you again someday."

Igris pulled up her collar, obscuring the lower half of her face behind it, making her expression impossible to see.

Slowly, the three of them reached the end of the road, and Olivia was the first to stop.

"That's enough for today, I'm going back now."

"of course."

Igris waved to Olivia, narrowed her eyes slightly, and smiled happily.

"See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

Olivia looked at Igris's smile, and her displeasure at being disturbed vanished. She slowly turned and left.

As Olivia walked away, Tina stopped in her tracks.

“In that case… Igris.”

Are you leaving too?

Igris glanced sideways at Tina's long green hair swaying in the wind, and suddenly felt a little dazed.

But she quickly realized what was happening and shook her head slightly.

Perhaps her mental state remains worrying, or perhaps she is simply experiencing hallucinations.

but……

"Until we meet again, Igoris."

"...?"

"See you again someday."

Tina waved her hand, then silently turned and left.

Will we ever meet again...?

As Igris watched her retreating figure, an indescribable feeling began to brew in her heart.

But she also knew that the sentence didn't mean anything else.

They only bumped into each other temporarily, so if they want to meet again, this is probably the only way.

We can only hope to meet again someday.

The Gods' Folly – Regret: Chapter Eighteen, Sharti's Lack of Spirit

Xia Erti was also feeling listless today.

After a full day of classes at the academy, I finally wanted to go out and take my bird for a walk, but I was afraid that some orange cat would steal it again, so I simply went back to my residence.

Unlike most of her classmates, Sharti does not live in the academy's dormitory. Although the dormitory environment is quite nice, she lives with her mother because of her special circumstances.

Incidentally, her mother is the current vice-principal of the college.

This is probably why, despite skipping school and even running all the way to Morgans, she didn't receive any particularly severe punishment.

As for what she went there to do?

This is a secret.

"Mom! I'm hungry!"

As a single parent, Sharti felt it was necessary to give his mother a little nudge.

Although she knew that her mother usually had a hard life, she seemed to have become unusually strange recently.

Many times, she had returned home, but her mother still hadn't prepared any meals, and she didn't even know where she had gone.

Even if no one cooks, it doesn't matter, Xia Erti can cook for herself. But even after Xia Erti finished eating and was about to go out to walk her birds, she still hadn't returned.

Even the food that Sharti had prepared for her had gone cold, but she still hadn't returned.

The little witch began to suspect that her mother had found someone she liked, which was why she was rarely home.

However, when she pushed open the door that didn't belong to her, all her thoughts vanished without a trace.

"...? Mom, what's wrong...?"

In Sharti's view, her mother was sitting on the edge of the bed, silently looking at the night sky outside the window, looking particularly depressed.

She couldn't recall doing anything particularly serious that would make her so sad, but she wasn't entirely sure either.

After all, she's usually quite disobedient.

"You...cried?"

Even though the little witch can usually pretend to be very disobedient and can even ignore most of her adoptive mother's scolding and greetings, it doesn't mean that she doesn't care about her.

On the contrary, she cared deeply about her only family member.

"Who bullied you? Tell me, and I'll get revenge for you!"

Her mother was like that; usually gentle and frail, she didn't seem like an elder at all. If most people in the college didn't know her, they would just think she was an ordinary student.

But in reality, she is the vice dean of this college.

"Ah...you're back?"

She wiped the tears from her eyes, glanced at the wall clock beside her, and sighed with some hesitation.

"I forgot to cook for you again... How about we eat out?"

"No...you, you're crying! What happened?"

Tears…

She didn't know what to say, or how to explain it to her daughter.

She could only silently stand up, and under the little witch's gaze, went to the table and opened the drawer.

It is said that it contains precious treasures she acquired during her travels around the world, but Sharti asked her about it many times, and she seemed to never care.

He even told Sharti that he could take anything to play with except that flower.

Except for that withered flower that was sealed away.

“Shaltie, tell me the truth, why did you run away in the first place, and why did you insist on going to Morgans?”

"...Why bring this up again? Haven't I already apologized? Or do you think the punishment was too lenient and are planning to make it more severe?"

"I just need an answer."

She tapped the little witch on the head, looked at the sullen Sharty, and said in a low voice.

"You're looking for someone, aren't you?"

"..."

"You're looking for the person I've been looking for all along, aren't you?"

Sharti fell silent; she couldn't answer, but…

The answer is no longer so important.

“You’ve always been like this since you were little, always having your own plans… Actually, it’s also my fault, I shouldn’t have told you those stories.”

She rubbed her cheeks, took a deep breath, and although there were still traces of tears in her eyes, she couldn't help but laugh.

"But I found her."

"...Found, who?"

"Is that even a question?"

She stood up, held up the withered rose she had always treasured, and revealed a vibrant smile—the first of its kind in Sharti's memory.

"The one I've been searching for, the one with whom I've been destined to meet again after traversing a century of time..."

Her voice suddenly stopped, and looking into Sharti's clear gaze, she coughed lightly, somewhat embarrassed.

"Anyway! All you need to know is that I'm not really crying, I'm just... a little too excited, you understand? These are tears of joy, so don't worry, Sharti, you don't need to worry."

As she spoke, a brighter smile unconsciously appeared on her face.

Then, as if she had thought of something, she suddenly stood up.

"Oh right... I need to change my clothes... Um, Sharti? Can I borrow your clothes for a bit? I'll return them to you, uh... I'll return you a new set of clothes."

Xia Erti stared blankly at his mother, who suddenly looked five hundred years younger, and became somewhat at a loss.

But judging from what she said and her behavior... Shaltie is very likely to have a father soon?

Although the father is also a woman, it's definitely clearer to use this kind of address to distinguish them.

And most importantly, although she also wanted to be happy for her mother, she had to pour cold water on her feelings.

"Mom... have you ever considered that maybe, I mean maybe... she might not accept a single mother who has raised a twenty-year-old daughter?"

Splash!

A commotion arose from in front of the wardrobe, and Nolan slowly raised his head from beneath the clothes.

"…What's the meaning?"

"Literally, I mean she might not agree to start a new family with you... Do you understand?"

Xia Erti pulled his lovestruck mother out of the pile of clothes with a look of disgust and explained seriously.