Chapter 10 –
Luminous lapels bloomed across the sea like a field of flowers.
More than the stars seen from mountaintops, more than the knots in a tightly coiled fisherman’s net.
And then, those whom Ophelia had been waiting for began to appear.
That day when Ian had shown her a small flower field upon the sea, Ophelia had asked:
—“You’ve traveled the seas often, so you must have seen this a lot, right?”
—“No, you can’t see lapels from the sea. To be precise… lapels are considered an ominous sign.”
—“But they’re so pretty. Why would they be ominous?”
—“Because when the lapels glow, it means something has come to hunt them. You have to be careful.”
Beings who illuminate lapels with their voices infused with magic, devour them, and then lure sailors to crash their ships into reefs.
They are the namesake of the Mage Tower and its very symbol.
The Sirens.
As Ophelia gazed at the silhouette of a bird flying above the sea, she spoke softly.
“Allei, retract your magic. Let them come closer.”
Allei frowned at her words.
“What even are those things?”
“What do you think they are?”
They’re the ones who will help you regain your memories.
In the tales of sailors, sirens are usually described in one of two ways:
Beasts with horrifying bird-like appearances and beautiful voices.
Or beings whose appearance is as enchanting as their voices.
Even among those who claimed to have seen them, accounts varied so much that many believed sirens didn’t exist at all.
But Ophelia already knew the truth of their appearance.
Of course—thanks to the experiences from her past life.
After Allei regained his memories, he returned to the Mage Tower. Since he was the very master the Tower had desperately been seeking, it was only natural.
Knowing how much he had suffered from his memory loss and how desperately he’d clung to regaining it, Ophelia hadn’t tried to stop him.
Still, had she followed her heart, she might have held him back.
Would she lose her voice again if he disappeared? Would she ever find someone else to share even the smallest of things with again? The thought of being left alone in an endless snowfield chilled her.
But how could she hold onto him for her own selfish reasons?
He had only just reclaimed his rightful place.
So instead of clinging to him, Ophelia simply visited Allei’s room more often. She spent more time by his fireplace, brought him small gifts, and shared more stories.
That day, she had baked plum pie perfectly for once.
Remembering Allei’s sweet tooth, Ophelia brought two slices and went to see him.
But when she arrived, someone else had gotten there first.
Curly hair cut short enough to bare the neck, a sharp, mesmerizing presence that felt unnaturally alluring—he exuded a seductive aura that made the phrase “love at first sight” seem literal.
“Dian, what’s this female doing here?”
And he was rude.
Allei scowled and rubbed his forehead.
“I told you not to speak like that, Sante.”
“Why not? She doesn’t look like a male.”
“That’s not the point… You may come in, Ophelia.”
“…Ah.”
Ophelia finally snapped out of her daze. Surprised by the sultry male voice—and being called a “female”—she had frozen for a moment.
She glanced at the one called Sante, then looked at Allei.
“You have a guest. Is it alright if I come in?”
“He’ll be leaving soon. Don’t worry. Sante, don’t try anything weird.”
“What weird thing do you think I’d do? But are you really okay leaving her alone with me?”
This time, Allei’s eyes narrowed, as if reconsidering his decision.
But it didn’t take him long.
“As long as I clarify before you pull anything strange… Ophelia, he’s not human.”
“Good call,” Sante added cheerfully.
“Sante handles communications with the sirens—”
“Because I am a siren.”
“Stop playing word games.”
“But it’s true.”
Ophelia was briefly thrown off. Even biting into a piping hot plum pie wouldn’t have surprised her more.
She felt the need to get her bearings.
“So… you’re saying he’s the Mage Tower?”
That earned a laugh. Sante burst out laughing so loudly it sounded like someone had dropped a whole stack of plates, even wiping away tears.
It was Allei who had to step in. Gently taking the plum pie plate from Ophelia’s confused hands, he set it on the desk and spoke in a slightly awkward tone.
“I could have explained better, but he interrupted… In any case, he’s not the Mage Tower. To be precise, the Tower was named after his species.”
“…So that’s what you meant by him not being human.”
“I didn’t mean to confuse you. I just didn’t want to alarm you.”
“No, I get it now. He’s a siren.”
Fortunately, Ophelia quickly accepted the situation, and Allei looked visibly relieved.
By then, even Sante had quieted down.
Thanks to that, Allei was able to continue his explanation.
It wasn’t long.
Sirens can shift between bird and human forms, and they sometimes assist the Mage Tower with lapel hunting in exchange for serving as messengers.
Sante was currently the leader of the sirens.
After the explanation, Ophelia asked,
“But… is it okay to tell me this? Humans don’t usually let non-human races off the hook.”
What if she accidentally put Sante in danger by knowing too much?
Sante, understanding the question, laughed again. This time it was more genuine, less mocking than before.
When Ophelia asked what was so funny, no one gave her an answer.
“I only found out later.”
That the sirens were far superior to humans in every way, that they were the ones who sometimes hunted humans for fun, and that they were shielded by multiple layers of magical protection from the Mage Tower.
Not a single rumor about them was false.
That they could crash ships into reefs, take bird or human form—it was all true.
Which, in hindsight, was a relief.
Had sirens been the hunted, it would’ve been far harder to meet them like this.
—
“Who did that just now? The female? The male? Both?”
“I’ve never seen them glow that much before! Do it again! Again!”
Ophelia sat on a reef, feet dipped in the water, watching three boys—three young sirens—chatter excitedly beside her.
From a distance, they had appeared as birds. But now, up close, it was clear they had changed forms.
Just as Allei had said.
—“Sirens are strong, but curious and reckless. They’re mischievous, too. They kill sailors just for fun. So if you meet them again, it won’t be hard to get close.”
—“Then what’s the hard part?”
—“You’re just a normal human. That’s the hard part. Sirens have no patience.”
You’ll have to be careful not to die.
Recalling Allei’s words, Ophelia looked at the young sirens.
And already, they were growing impatient.
“If you don’t do it now, we’ll throw you into the sea!”
“I’ll bash your head on the reef!”
But what was there to fear in those threats?
The man beside her held the power to turn the sea into a starry night.
“Allei, isn’t it a bit too noisy?”
“I agree.”
The moment Allei spoke, the sirens’ mouths snapped shut.
Much better.
Watching the sirens struggle to speak through sealed lips, Ophelia spoke coolly.
“Sirens. If you want, I can light up this sea for you as much as you like.”
“Mmph! Mmph!”
“I can show you even more amazing things. I can feed you lapels until your bellies burst.”
“……!”
“Have you ever seen a raging sea turn calm in an instant? Rain fall in reverse? Don’t you want to see the ocean floor? If you help me, I can show you anything.”
As Ophelia went on, the sirens began to fall under her spell.
If they had been older, like Sante, persuading them might’ve been harder—but thankfully, these sirens were as young as Cardelia.
After all, luck is a skill, too.
Ophelia sealed the deal.
“Well? Will you help me?”
And just like that, she gained three excellent informants.
