"Rustle."
At the moment Rozen spoke, the shadow of the tree seemed to shudder, making a noise as if the person hiding there had been startled upon hearing Rozen's voice.
Rozen stared at the tree's shadow with some helplessness.
"Alright, there's no need to hide. Although you seem to have used some magic to suppress the sound of your footsteps, making it nearly silent, your control over magic isn't perfect, and your hiding method is quite direct. It might work to deceive others, but trying to deceive me is a bit too naive," Rozen stated, confident in his abilities.
With "Heaven's Eye," it was almost impossible to approach Rozen to this extent without being noticed. With "Mind's Eye" active, even perfectly executed magic wouldn't escape Rozen's notice.
Furthermore, Rozen's "Spirit Vision" had already detected the presence of spiritual energy nearby.
"Need me to invite you out, Frey-senpai?" Rozen teased playfully, causing the tree's shadow to shake even more.
After a moment, it seemed that the other person had given up trying to hide. They emerged hesitantly.
With pearl-colored sidelocks, fair and exquisite skin, a well-proportioned figure, and a black-armored large wolf dog by her side, it was indeed Frey.
"Um..."
Frey stood awkwardly in front of Rozen, wearing a shy and timid expression.
Despite being a senior one grade higher than Rozen, she gave off the impression that she couldn't lift her head as if she was a junior being scolded by someone.
(It seems this senior has a rather shy personality.)
Rozen made this judgment and initiated the conversation with her.
"Good evening, Senpai. Are you here to find me?" Rozen casually said, which made Frey fidget nervously for a while.
Following that, it seemed that Frey gathered her courage and spoke to Rozen.
"I-I'm here to express my gratitude."
"Gratitude?" Rozen turned his gaze towards her.
In this situation, Frey cast her eyes downward, looking timid and afraid to meet Rozen's gaze. Her voice was extremely faint, like a skittish little rabbit.
"Because I heard you saved Rabbi," Frey's voice was weak and somewhat incomprehensible, but Rozen still understood her intentions.
"So, you already know the reason why I was hiding around you, don't you?" Rozen deduced.
Frey must have been aware that he was not there for any sinister purpose but to capture the "Cannibal Candy".
At that time, not only Rabbi was in danger, but Frey as well. If it weren't for Rozen, Felix would have surely followed Hinowa's divination results, scouted the forest, and attacked Frey at night, trying to steal Rabbi's magic circuits.
That's why Frey had specifically come here to express her gratitude to Rozen.
However, this shy girl seemed unsure about how to approach Rozen, which is why she hesitated and stayed hidden.
As for Charl, I guess when she arrived, Frey was already hiding on the side. The wealthy young lady didn't even notice, did she?
In other words,
(Your dedicated efforts to apologize were witnessed from beginning to end by someone else.)
Rozen thought silently in his mind, feeling sorry for Charl.
It seemed that the image of the girl known as the "Tyrant Rex" had been shattered in Frey's eyes.
Rozen thought to himself and looked at Frey, whose expression was still uneasy. His complexion unconsciously softened.
"You really are quite easygoing," Rozen offered this assessment.
"Easygoing?" Frey's shoulder slightly shook as if she had been shocked.
But the fact was, wasn't she?
"Do you know that the 'Cannibal Candy' doesn't just devour the hearts of automatons but also kills their owners and hides them?" Rozen sighed.
"At that time, it wasn't just Rabbi who was in real danger, but you were in the same situation."
In this way, Frey wasn't here to thank for her own rescue but for the rescue of the automaton. This shows not only her kindness but also her prioritizing the automaton over herself, which can be seen as either very generous or somewhat oblivious.
As for Frey's case, it's likely a bit of both.
The evidence for this is what Frey did next.
"Because Rabbi is my important family."
Frey lowered her head and reached out to pet the large wolfhound by her side, her gestures very gentle.
"Woof!"
Rabbi immediately barked and extended his head, licking Frey's palm.
From this interaction, it's evident just how deep the bond is between Frey and Rabbi.
Setting aside her shy and timid nature, deep within Frey's heart, there's a gentleness and kindness that others might not easily see.
This is definitely a situation that could make someone smile with understanding.
However, Rozen couldn't find it in himself to smile. He just continued to gaze at Frey, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say he was looking at her condition internally. His fists clenched slowly, and his eyes revealed a hint of anger and coldness.
Frey, who didn't notice this, spoke to Rozen.
"I owe you a favor too," Frey said in a low voice. "I might not be as strong as the 'Tyrant Rex,' just the 100th in line, but if there's anything I can do, I'll help you."
Leaving behind those words, Frey bowed to Rozen and then slowly left with Rabbi.
Rozen once again watched the girl's figure as she walked away, and it took a while before he closed his eyes with a sense of complexity.
"Help me?" Rozen wondered if Frey could really help him. It was difficult to say.
In contrast, Rozen was very aware that if he decided to interfere this time, perhaps he could help Frey as well.
Of course, Rozen wasn't one to meddle in others' affairs. He wasn't a justice-driven hero. At most, he wanted to get involved in things he found intolerable.
Even at Chaldea, facing the prospect of humanity's incineration, Rozen fought not to save all of humanity but to help the people around him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made up his mind to leave that world with Mash and Romani if Chaldea's human order was truly going to collapse.
Given that, Rozen muttered to himself, "If it's something I find intolerable, it might not be a bad idea to get involved."
With this thought in mind, Rozen relaxed the complex emotions in his heart and returned to his dorm.
"Creek"
With the sound of the door opening, Rozen returned to his room. But when he arrived, his heart immediately stirred as he gazed at the empty space in front of him and smiled.
"Alright, don't hide anymore," Rozen said, grinning. "Come on out."
The moment he spoke, the space in front of Rozen began to ripple slightly, and several figures appeared simultaneously.