Aspakeony herself was already waiting for Zoemi in her office, and as soon as he sat down she seated herself on top of his lap without a moment of hesitation.

"So, I've been thinking…

"

She said instead of hello and looked Zoemi in the eyes with a serious expression.

"Astounding.

"

"…?

"

Zoemi raised his brows and gasped in fake astonishment, making the gray-haired girl furrow her brows and look at him in confusion.

"…what is astounding…? I didn't say anything of importance yet…?

"

She said in a concerned voice, making Zoemi feel slightly bad.

…because he of course meant that it was astounding for her to think – because she definitely didn't think about him and his plans when she made Burdoff bring him to the headmaster's office…

"I meant your cuteness up close.

"

"!!!!

"

The black-haired boy shrugged his shoulders and blurted the first thing that came to his mind without giving it any consideration – which resulted in Aspakeony flinching in shock.

"…

"

…it took Zoemi a moment to realize what he just said and…

"No – wait…! I meant…!

"

He stiffened and gasped in embarrassment, looking back at the Necromancer seated in his lap, just to end up wide-eyed…

"…

"

Aspakeony herself was looking away with a flustered expression and fidgetted nervously on the boy's lap.

She looked ready to stand up and go hid in her drawer but managed to endure that urge and took a deep breath.

"You've said that you weren't contacted by Ghosts, but truth be told, they aren't the only dangerous individuals… or group… I honestly don't know how to count them…

"

She said, trying her best to keep a calm expression, but ended up bashfully glancing at Zoemi's face time and time again.

"What exactly do you mean by that…?

"

The black-haired boy raised his brow and tilted his head curiously.

"This is not well known but there are quite a few powerful beings in this world, you know? The thing is they are keeping to themselves lowkey just like I am – or even more than that – after all, I actively help Bellcephora kingdom whenever I can. I helped create it and I don't want to see it fall, after all.

"

Aspakeony shrugged her shoulders but something in her voice told Zoemi that she wants him to prise her…

"I, myself, am the most powerful in the kingdom of Bellcephora after Ghosts, but there are a few others in other countries who aren't half-bad themselves – still, I am the strongest necromancer by far.

"

She added lowering her head and glancing upwards at the black-haired attendant.

"Yes, yes – you are amazing.

"

Zoemi smirked and raised his hand, placing it on the girl's head.

"But seriously, if that's the only reason why you have brought me here then I need to go.

"

He added and his smile turned into a serious expression.

"I got you here because I wanted to talk about a certain being that most likely already did contact you in some way shape or form…

"

Aspakeony shook her head and also turned serious.

"No, no magician from another country has contacted me as far as I remember – honestly I never even met another darkness magician… well, I think my mother was a darkness magician, actually – but I was only three years old when she died – and back then I didn't have magic at all.

"

Zoemi responded without blinking while trying his best not to blush. Aspakeony's face was very close to his own…

"Eh…? Your mother…? Weren't you a commoner living in the slums before little Mizoe adopted you?

"

Aspakeony shifted her position and Zoemi could swear that she was doing it on purpose again…

"Yes, that's right- what about it…?

"

The boy furrowed his brows and asked, confused about the peculiar tone that the necromancer used.

"Oh, you see, the thing is… hmm…

"

It looked like the gray-haired girl was going to start explaining what she had in mind, but then she stopped herself.

"Sorry, that one subject will have to wait – just keep in mind that even though the world doesn't exactly like the darkness attribute – magic is still only hereditary through the aristocratic blood – no exception.

"

"…!

"

Aspakeony declared and straightened her back.

"Ah, what am I doing… You told me that you are busy and I am giving you some vague statements and hints because I want to keep you here…

"

"!!!

"

The necromancer shooke her head and pulled herself together – although her peculiar choice of words made the black-haired attendant blush a little…

"The thing – or rather being – that I wanted to tell you about is something else. Everyone who came in contact with it experienced it human-like but also completely inhuman behavior. We all agree to call it Presence. Presence appeared to always exist in this world, to the point that even the oldest of us can only say that it was always there even before them. At the same time, she… it doesn't really seem all that eager to intervene with us if it's not necessary…

"

"…

"

As the necromancer was speaking Zoemi was feeling progressively worse.

"If I had to segregate Presence into a certain type of being, the most fitting category would be… god. Or at least the closest thing we heave to it in this little world of ours.

"

|Could… could it be that it has something to do with the being that brought me into this world…?!|

Aspakeony explained and Zoemi's thoughts raced straight back to the moments after his death when he had a talk with a particular being of light…

"Still – even though I said that Presence could be put up there with the deities, she… it is far from omnipotent or omniscient. Everything it does is clearly rooted in the concept of mana and magic. We know it since most of its spells have a hard time working on us – the magicians with a great amount of mana. For example, Ghosts can ignore its effects to a certain degree, as far as I know, and I generally know when it cast a spell.

"

Aspakeony put her arms around Zoemi's neck without him noticing – truth be told, she herself didn't notice it either, it was just something that her body did on its own when she was focused on explaining.

"The thing is, that just a few days ago a large-scale spell happened, and it was definitely the one cast by Presence. As far as I know, it reversed the flow of time for a few minutes but I have no idea why… That was what I was actually doing the other day – finding the shadow magician's corpse was only a side objective.

"

She added, looking to the side as if she expected the black-haired boy to be disappointed that he wasn't the most important one.

"But I learned nothing. Literally, nothing major happened in the world. I contacted everyone I could about it, and everyone said the same thing. Nothing happened, at all. But the spell was cast nonetheless and it gave me a huge headache! Then I started thinking about why could the presence that is usually stagnant suddenly made a move. And then it hit me!

"

"!!!!

"

She jumped excitedly and Zoemi flinched.

"It must have something to do with you! It's not that the Ghosts don't want to contact you – they literally can't contact you because, for some reason, Presence isn't allowing them to!

"

For some reason, Aspakeony looked excited and her gray eyes were shining with interest.

Zoemi gulped down his saliva and glanced down nervously.

|There's no way that the god who brought me here and this whole Presence are the same being…! Right…?|

He thought to himself…

|…Maybe it's alright to tell Aspakeony that I'm a reincarnated person…?|

Zoemi considered for a moment, but then he realized a major detail that he initially missed from Aspakeony's explanation.

"Wait… I don't have a lot of mana, but I also know that the time was reversed…

"

"…wait… really…?

"

He said out loud and made the gray-haired girl straighten her back.

"Yes – I felt extreme pain and them it felt as if my consciousness was separated from my body and then I was seeing two places at the same time – on one side I've seen my day happening in reverse, but the other was of an unchanging dimly lit room where I was sitting on the crystal box with a severed hand.

"

"…!

"

Zoemi spoke and felt that the necromancer stiffened after hearing him out.

"…so you are connected… yes, that makes sense… but then that would mean…

"

Aspakeony started mumbling to herself hurriedly, making the black-haired boy stare at her speechless.