“That was a failure, wasn’t it?”
A quiet but furious girl’s voice echoed in the empty classroom after school.
She ran her hand through her wavy blonde hair, her face fixed in a smile that was as cold and terrifying as if it were artificial.
Met with a piercing gaze through silver-rimmed glasses, Drew knelt before the girl sitting in a chair, trembling uncontrollably from fear.
“I-I am so sorry!”
He prostrated himself on the floor, bowing deeply in apology, but the girl’s gaze remained cold.
Drew cursed Jared Murphy with all his heart.
He had only intended to use Laurentz Herring to lend credibility to the bad rumors about Jared. He thought it would be easy to stir up Laurentz’s dissatisfaction with Jared and his longing for friendship. And indeed, it had been easy.
Although he was wary of the twin siblings Bertha and Kurt, Laurentz was a kind man who didn’t abandon those who relied on him. Drew thought things had progressed smoothly because Laurentz hadn’t been wary of him. However, he never dreamed that events would unfold beyond his imagination.
He never expected Laurentz to confess his true feelings and for Jared to accept them, leading to reconciliation.
Drew couldn’t hide his astonishment. If he hadn’t been restrained by the thorns, he would have exclaimed in surprise, or burst into laughter at the cliché display of friendship.
As a result, he found himself in a situation where he had to offer an apology he didn’t want to give.
“I thought you had potential, but it seems I was mistaken.”
“That’s not true—”
“I don’t want to hear excuses. I wanted to go home today, at this very moment, happy that everything I requested had yielded positive results?”
“I am so sorry!”
“You don’t need to apologize. But what am I to do about the irritation simmering in my chest?”
The girl and Drew were alone in the deserted classroom. And Drew, despite his poor grades, was a magician. It should have been easy for him to overpower a small girl who possessed not a sliver of magic power.
However, doing so would cost him his head. And not metaphorically, but literally.
Still, he couldn’t escape from this place.
The girl knew. She knew he couldn’t resist, nor could he escape. And she knew it, yet she laughed at the terrified Drew.
“You come from a noble family, even if it’s in decline. That’s why I promised to introduce you to a family that wants to incorporate Magician’s Blood, isn’t it?”
“Y-Yes.”
“But I’m not doing this out of charity, am I?”
“I haven’t forgotten.”
“Did I not ask you to incite Laurentz Herring and make the rumors about Jared Murphy true, in order to damage his reputation? In return, I would introduce you to a family. If you pleased them, you could become their son-in-law and perhaps even join the nobility—that was our agreement, wasn’t it?”
That was exactly right.
Drew hadn’t set this whole thing up out of hatred for Jared or Laurentz.
He had found Laurentz’s attitude irritating, and on occasion, tiresome, with his pride as the son of a Count Family. However, Laurentz had helped him without complaint despite his poor academic performance.
He harbored feelings of jealousy towards Jared as a magician, but he also admired him.
But he couldn’t resist the temptation.
If he could completely estrange the two, and in doing so lend credibility to the many rumors the girl had spread throughout the academy, Drew would have been promised a return to the nobility.
Many nobles craved Magician’s Blood. However, the Mage Association kept a close eye on such matters. Nevertheless, there were many magicians like Drew who wanted to forge ties with noble families. It was the girl who had provided him with the opportunity.
But in the end, it was a failure.
Worse still, he had ended up providing Jared and Laurentz with an opportunity to become friends.
It could only be described as a grave mistake.
“Jared Murphy took action. He denied the rumors he hadn’t intended to get involved in. What’s more, Laurentz and the student council cooperated, turning the rumors into mere rumors.”
It was precisely because he knew this that Drew couldn’t lift his face from fear.
“Was I asking for something so difficult?”
The girl pretended to think for a moment, then shook her head.
“No, I wasn’t. I am disappointed in you. That’s enough. You may go.”
“Please, give me one more chance!”
“Oh? Is there anything you can still do?”
“I’ll do anything. So please, just one more chance.”
“Hmm…”
At Drew’s words, the girl’s lips curled upwards as if she had been waiting for this.
Drew, unable to see her face, didn’t notice that she looked like a child who had thought of a wicked plan.
“I’ll give you one more chance out of consideration for your resolve to do anything.”
Drew raised his head, intending to express his gratitude, but then—
“—Kill Jared Murphy.”
The impossible demand froze him in place.
“Oh? What is your answer?”
“—It’s—”
“I can’t hear you.”
“It’s impossible!”
The girl frowned, clearly displeased.
“Oh dear, why is that?”
“I’m a failing student on the verge of being held back, and he’s a magician who has become a Court Mage Candidate!”
“But he’s only a candidate, isn’t he? I doubt a magician of the same age would be completely out of your league?”
“I can’t do anything against him! The level at which I and Jared Murphy stand as magicians is entirely different!”
Drew stated this with conviction, but the girl didn’t quite grasp his words.
However, it was understandable.
Only another magician could truly understand the heights Jared Murphy had reached in his craft.
No matter how much one spoke of him destroying a swarm of flying dragons or defeating a sea monster, to those outside the magical arts, it would simply sound impressive. Indeed, even among magicians, many would consider it merely a matter of him being superior. But Drew knew.
He had seen it. He had accidentally witnessed Jared using magic.
He had been astounded by the lack of incantation or movement in the previous display of thorns alone, but Jared’s magic was far beyond that.
While magicians typically possessed only one magical attribute, Jared had three. Each attribute was, needless to say, at the level of a seasoned magician, and he effortlessly manipulated all three simultaneously, even applying them in novel ways.
Jared had used magic in front of Drew to eliminate enemies as naturally as breathing, with effortless ease, no waste, and immense power.
Drew knew he stood no chance against him, even if he stood on his head.
Though many magicians took pride in being magicians and considered magic to be everything, Jared viewed magic as merely one tool among many. He would likely deny it, but anyone who saw him training his body, practicing swordsmanship, and engaging in martial arts would think the same as Drew.
As proof of this, Jared didn’t use magic unnecessarily. When it came to combat, he would rather use a weapon if he could avoid employing magic. It seemed he might use magic when his emotions exploded, as they did in the morning, but even then, Drew could tell he was consciously or unconsciously restraining his power considerably.
It was precisely because he knew he couldn’t win against Jared in terms of magical prowess that he had agreed to the scheme of using Laurentz against him to lower his evaluation. The reward was tempting, but it was also a perfect opportunity to vent his jealousy of his abundant talent.
“You’re trembling, aren’t you?”
Drew realized Jared was frightening. He finally understood who he had picked a fight with.
Killing him was impossible. If he showed any hostility, he would be killed.
“I don’t understand, but if Jared Murphy frightens you that much, then you don’t have to do anything.”
“R-Really!?”
“Yes. But instead, harm someone he cares about. I’m not saying kill them. But you can at least make them suffer, can’t you?”
He couldn’t answer immediately. Even if he went through with it, if he was discovered, he would face retaliation.
As if reading Drew’s inner thoughts, the girl smiled.
“It’s alright. I will protect you. I’m not afraid of the eldest son of a mere Baronial Family who cannot inherit the family headship. If you injure someone important to Jared Murphy, you will forge ties with nobility and be protected by me.”
“Will you really protect me?”
“Of course. I value my allies very much.”
Tempted by her sweet words, Drew began to think. Even if he couldn’t touch Jared, he could harm someone else. If the girl would protect him even if it was discovered he was responsible, he had nothing to fear.
Drew’s thoughts were already clouded.
Prioritizing his own desires, he had chosen to harm someone else.
“I’ll do it. I’ll definitely do it!”
The girl, her face breaking into a smile as if satisfied with Drew’s fearless voice, said,
“That’s a good answer. I look forward to the results.”
“I will absolutely meet your expectations!”
Drew bowed deeply, stood up, and left the classroom.
After seeing him out, the girl’s smile vanished, and she wore a contemptuous expression, clicking her tongue.
“What a foolish man. But if he succeeds, I must keep my promise. Fortunately, even a man like him has value simply for being a magician, so any family would likely welcome him.”
The girl’s mind conjured nobles who craved Magician’s Blood. Among them, she began to select families with lower power and those for whom incorporating Magician’s Blood would present no issues.
“—But even if I wanted Magician’s Blood, I’d refuse blood from a man like him. Thinking about it, Olivier did well. I never thought she’d have the most outstanding magician in the academy as her fiancé. Despite being past her prime, does she have no shame in pursuing someone ten years her junior?”
Her irritation growing, the girl unconsciously began to bite her nails, then stopped abruptly, an idea striking her.
“That’s right… Drew will fail anyway, so I’ll discard him, and I’ll snatch Jared Murphy away from Olivier. He would be a suitable husband for me. More importantly, for his sake, I’m a much better match than a woman past her prime marrying someone younger.”
She imagined the unparalleled pleasure of stealing the man Olivier Alway had finally acknowledged as her fiancé. The thought of his frustrated face made her giddy.
“You just focus on protecting your precious mother. Jared-sama is too good for Olivier. Instead, I will cherish him.”
Convinced she had come up with a brilliant plan, the girl joyfully pondered how she would approach Jared.
