“—That’s true. Eivind was lead to believe that bandits had razed his village, but I was the one ordered to set the village on fire. The king’s private army killed those who fled, all in order to obtain a new vessel…”

I stopped listening halfway through.

Rather, I told Cecily.

Sorry, but I’m going to ruin our plan on making connections with a government official.

[We can always come up with another plan.]

Once again, I’m sorry.

Thus, after obtaining Cecily’s permission, I leaned forward and slapped the director across the face. The director didn’t complain at all and just stopped talking.

I quietly asked that wonderful man.

“Do you know why I am angry?”

“…Because I have the gall to ask you to help Eivind.”

“Wonderful answer. As expected of the foremost man in modern magic.”

The director didn’t even frown at my sarcasm. He merely gritted his teeth.

“All of us at the Royal Magic Institute are engraved with a contract seal upon joining. If we disobey the king’s orders, we’ll lose our lives.”

According to the director, the seal was engraved on his chest.

No one wants to see an old man naked.

As such, when he asked, ‘Do you wish to see it?’ I replied, ‘I’ll just ask Eivind to show his next time.’

I tried to guess the purpose behind that seal.

“Is it to prevent uprisings?”

“…You understood quickly.”

I knew it.

The Scum King didn’t think he would stand a chance if every magician in the country were to rise against him. Thus, he came up with such a narrowminded measure.

Well, even if that was the case, I wasn’t going to brush off the fact that Eivind’s hometown was raised as an inevitability.

“—In other words, are you telling me that the magicians of today’s world are generally incompetent? Did you all pursue magic simply to become puppets? Compared to 800 years ago, people sure have it easier these days.”

“I understand why you’re angry, but that king isn’t an absolute evil, either. Even if some are sacrificed, he’s a just king for the majority of the people. Not only has this city prospered, it’s also well prepared to deal with natural disasters such as famine. Nor have been any major conflicts with other countries over the past 800 years, which is why—”

“—Which is why Eivind can just die?”

Then, the director suddenly started rambling.

“It was all I could do to buy time! There was actually a talk of possessing Eivind when he turned sixteen. However, as long as he’s a student, there’s a system in place that protects his human rights, which is inviolable even by the king. Taking advantage of that, I forced Eivind to enroll in the academy… I got him three years… In the meantime, all I could do was struggle and try to find a way…”

“—And during his third year, the Incorrigible Villainess was resurrected?”

I stared at the director who remained silent and in tears.

“Ahaha, I guess that means I can destroy the world’s peace once again!”

I had no choice but to laugh. The director had no intention of becoming the bad guy. Yet, in order to help his son, to whom he had become attached, he intended to force the villainess from 800 years ago to commit atrocities again.

“How arrogant. How selfish. You’re so selfish for still pretending to be a good person despite all of that! So annoying!”

Then, I stood up.

I hate this guy.

“I won’t listen to your requests. Whether to save Eivind or to destroy the world, I’ll do it of my own accord. It has nothing to do with you!”

After saying that, I left the room. I felt like I could hear him sobbing, ‘Thank you,’ but that was probably my imagination. I slowly descended the spiral staircase.

Then, Cecily spoke to me.

[Nora, what do we do?

Hey, Cecily, this isn’t my problem?

[Are you going to attack the king just like that?]

I couldn’t help but laugh at her question.

The guards would turn me into a pincushion for their spears?

[There’s a saying, ‘we were born together on the same lotus flower.’ We act and share our fate until the end.Before I met Nora, Eivind did come to my aid from time to time…]

What’s with the delicate expression?

Apparently, Cecily and Eivind were in the same class during their first and second years. It wouldn’t be strange if there was some kind of connection between them. That said, I didn’t think that was something Cecily should risk her life for, and neither would I.

Stop being so enlightened with me. You have no reason to go that far with me—

Before I could finish, I noticed that a nearby laboratory was getting very noisy.

[Magic Doll Laboratory]—Eivind’s research field. By the way, didn’t Eivind leave earlier, saying some kind of number?

I was a little curious, so I decided to take a look. The doll in the middle of the room was blinking as though it were alive. A naked woman, one with a red crystal embedded in her plump bosom. Her loose, curly hair made me think that she was in her early thirties.

Staring straight at the lady, Eivind Dahl, who were being applauded by his fellow researchers, quietly shed tears.

“…Mother.”

---

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