rticipate in the investigation on a limited logistical basis.

Of course, they had to sign a pledge with various restrictions such as confidentiality of the details of the investigation, but their faces looked radiant.

Remembering the exchange between them earlier, Nozomu let out a chuckle due to the happiness and joy that welled up in him. At that moment, Nozomu's eyes caught sight of Camilla who was walking one step away from them.

Camilla had barely spoken since she had been appointed as a spy.

The boys' dormitory and the girls' dormitory were close, so she walked home together with Nozomu and the others, but there was still a dark shadow hanging over her as she walked alone, away from Nozomu and the others.

Perhaps sensing the atmosphere, Irisdina and the others saw them off without saying anything further.

"Why did you insist on cooperating with the investigation?"

Nozomu questioned Camilla as they arrived at the outer edge.

The warm twilight breeze caressed their cheeks, and the few rays of sunlight that remained on the horizon dyed the two of them red.

Nozomu's words must have reached her ears, but Camilla kept her head down and showed no reaction.

Nozomu scratched his head as if he was in trouble.

"Hey, did you resent us when we betrayed you?"

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't have those feelings... Honestly, didn't want to believe it at first. I lost all my strength and I didn't even know what I was doing. I was so furious that I was lashing out at my surroundings..."

After saying that much, Nozomu's eyes opened as if he had just noticed something.

"Camilla, about what you just said ..."

She nodded her head slowly in response to Nozomu's question.

Her words, "We betrayed you", meant that she had admitted that Nozomu's words were true regarding what happened two years ago.

If that was the case, then it made sense why she looked so uncomfortable when she saw Nozomu in jail and why she apologized in a faint, fading voice.

Her shoulders were trembling, her eyes swollen with tears as she bowed her head.

A former friend. The reason she came to Nozomu, who had been caught, was probably because she wanted to apologize, even if it made Nozomu hurl curse words at her.

However, Nozomu didn't want to blame her anymore.

It was only natural for Camilla to be angry when she found out that her dearest friend, Lisa, had shut herself in her room and lost her mind. Because she was originally such a compassionate woman.

"...... Nozomu, you said it yourself that you have been running away. Then why didn't you leave Arcazam? After what happened to you, it's normal if you choose to leave the city."

"I couldn't leave this city because I was running away from reality. It was irresponsible of me to think that if I kept trying, Lisa would come back to me someday."

Unlike Camilla, who had a serious expression on her face, Nozomu's face was dignified as he talked about his past, and there was no shadow on his face.

"Also, I wasn't alone. There were people who made me realize that I was running away and they accepted me for who I am."

Someone who had fallen once and had yet to recover. It was as if a broken tree had been used as a nursery and was beginning to grow towards the sky.

"Nozomu ... what do you want to do with Lisa?"

Camilla raised her face and stared into Nozomu's eyes as if she was peeping into them.

Her complexion was still not good. Although her atmosphere was still like that, but Camilla's eyes still had a strong light in them.

Nozomu slowly told her what he had kept in his heart.

"... I just want her to recover."

After a few seconds of silence, Nozomu opened his mouth as if squeezing the words out. There was a slight hesitation in his tone.

However, Nozomu felt that there was no falsehood in his own words.

Looking at Lisa's situation at that night in the city, it was clear that she was still trapped in the past. The relationship between Nozomu and Lisa was already completely broken, but at least it wasn't good to keep it that way. He wanted her to at least be aware of what she was running away from.

"... I see. As expected, that is the case, isn't it?"

"Camilla?"

Nozomu tilted his head at Camilla's voice, which was somewhat slurred.

But she lowered her head down, made no reply, and turned on her heel.

"I'm going home. And you better not talk to me until this is over. If you're not careful, Ken will find out."

With the crimson sun illuminating her back, Camilla disappeared into the dusk-tinged city.

Her face was so stiff as if she had made up her mind, and her eyes had a somehow dangerous color in them.