"Oh, it's nothing serious. Do you remember a guy called Harper?"
She frowned, then shook her head.
"Should I? Who is he?"
Sunny shrugged. His expression remained neutral.
"Just a guy that I killed. He was one of Gunlaug's spies."
Neph looked at him for a few moments, then asked with indifferent confusion:
"What about him?"
A slight shadow ran over Sunny's face. However, his smile remained exactly the same.
"...No, nothing. Just wondered if you knew him."
When they walked far enough and were concealed from the eyes of the cohort by several tall walls, Changing Star stopped and turned to face him. Looking at Sunny, she said:
"It is good that we can speak privately. Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor."
He blinked.
'Well, that is unexpected.'
"What is it?"
She hesitated for a few moments.
"After my fight with Gunalug is over, if… when I win, I might not be in the best shape. Even if I am, there will be a flood of soul essence pouring into my body. It will incapacitate me for a bit."
The changes that happened to the body after a small portion of soul essence was consumed were subtle, but in large quantities, it could be disorienting, sometimes even debilitating for a short while.
Sometimes, experiencing these changes and getting used to them took a little time.
Sunny tilted his head.
'A flood of soul essence? What does it matter if her core is either full to the brim or at least almost saturated?'
He frowned, trying to guess what he wanted from him.
"So what do you need me to do? Keep Harus busy while you recover?"
She shook her head, then looked away.
A light sigh escaped from Changing Star's lips.
"No. I want you to make sure that Caster is nowhere near me when that happens."
Here it was. The truth was about to come out.
Sunny stared at Nephis, his expression cold and dark. After a few moments of tense silence, he asked:
"Why? What's the deal with you and Caster?"
She looked at him, her striking grey eyes calm and deep.
Then, she said:
"It's very simple, really. Caster has been sent here to kill me."