“Well, well, the culprit, Adelina Bischof, makes an appearance.”
“…You certainly have a lot to say. You’re Jared Murphy, the Court Mage Candidate, aren’t you?”
Adelina’s left eye sharpened at Jared’s provocative tone.
“I am deeply honored that my name is remembered by a glorious Court Mage.”
“I remember the name of the sole survivor, of course.”
“You! The way you’re talking!”
Laurentz, though not directly addressed, felt indignation rise at Adelina’s words. However, he was held fast by Bertha and Kurt, unable to move. Instead, he glared at her as if he could shoot her dead.
“Unlike some people, I haven’t committed any fraudulent acts, so there’s no reason for me to be killed.”
“You brat…”
“What’s your problem, old hag?”
Adelina, who gave off a cold impression, seemed weak to provocation, and Jared’s words clearly irritated her. Jared, too, hadn’t intended to speak so rudely. He was quite angry internally because Adelina had shown up just as he had softened and returned to the mansion.
“Hurry up and take these noisy brats away. You’ll get caught up and die. By the way, I’m telling you this out of goodwill.”
“Thank you. However, you will undoubtedly be killed by Barnabas as well.”
“I won’t be defeated easily. I’m the Eighth Seat of the Court Mages, you know. I admit to my fraudulent act, but I obtained my position as a Court Mage through my own strength.”
“You may have become a Court Mage through your abilities, but you cannot defeat Barnabas Kaif, who defeated the Minotaur.”
“Maybe so.”
Jared, feeling puzzled by Adelina’s somewhat indifferent attitude, asked. He could have ignored her and left the scene. However, he wondered if he should just leave her be. More importantly, Adelina’s appearance was making Laurentz’s temper flare up again, making it difficult to move.
“Why did you commit fraudulent acts?”
“Why… I didn’t care about Barnabas at all. I was wary of Barnabas because of Count Brauer – that is, Tres Brauer’s father.”
“You were wary of Barnabas, a fellow Wind Elemental Mage, weren’t you?”
“You know quite a bit. He’s a Wind Elemental Mage like your son, and in terms of pure skill, Barnabas is superior. Tres is better in terms of personality, but at the Court Mages, skill is the most important factor. Whether he was worried as a father or didn’t trust Tres, I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter anymore.”
“It matters!”
He was angered by Adelina, who spoke as if it were all over. For her, it might have been a past event from seven years ago. But now, there were victims. Three Court Mage Candidates were dead, Tres Brauer was unconscious, and many of his family members had also been killed by Barnabas. The murdered people must have had loved ones who grieved for them. Just as Laurentz mourned Kevin Harrington’s death, they must have had close friends, loved ones, family, and family.
“Don’t talk like it’s over! The grudges from seven years ago are still ongoing. Because you and Count Brauer did something trivial, Barnabas Kaif’s life as a magician was ruined, and everything started from there.”
“…You speak as if you know everything.”
“Yeah, I don’t know. I just heard the story from the Mage Association. But if you, the one involved, won’t say anything, don’t complain.”
I’m already caught up in this. We might be targets, so we are definitely involved parties.
“You have an obligation to tell us about the past. You may not want to bring it to light, but Laurentz, who lost his loved ones, Bertha and Kurt, who are worried, and we Court Mage Candidates, who might be targeted, are all legitimate parties involved!”
He knew in his head that Adelina wasn’t just closing her mouth for self-preservation. A little conversation revealed that she was ashamed of her past actions. Still, his heart couldn’t remain calm.
“…I come from a commoner background. I was affiliated with the Mage Association, but I never attended a specialized academy. I learned magic through self-study and gained power through many painful experiences in actual combat.”
Adelina began to speak with a sense of resignation, as if recalling the past.
“I went through a lot of hardship, but on the other hand, I achieved results. That’s why I was so happy when I was chosen as a Court Mage Candidate. My hardships would finally be rewarded. Many people would recognize me.”
“Then why did you participate in the fraudulent act?”
“Even if my friend Tres is a good person, his parents might not be. He’s a good guy, and a precious friend. But his father was the worst. He arbitrarily regarded Barnabas as an enemy and wanted to eliminate him, but he had no connections or anything with the Mage Association. So, he asked me, whom he had known for a while—no, he threatened me.”
He felt like he had grasped the gist of the story. At first, he had gently hinted at the fraudulent act as if consulting with Adelina, his son’s friend. Of course, Adelina, who didn’t want to cooperate with fraud, refused. Then, his attitude changed completely. He threatened that if she didn’t cooperate, he would, by any means necessary, obstruct her life even if she became a Court Mage. In return, he said that if she lent him a hand, he would continue to support her as a good benefactor.
“I was scared. I had no power back then. All I had was magic, nothing else. Moreover, resisting authority was impossible.”
“So, you participated in the fraudulent act.”
“Yes. I agreed. But what I did was only to find people within the Mage Association who were in financial trouble or wanted connections with nobles. After that, Count Brauer and the association members arranged it all on their own.”
The minimal assistance requested was likely Count Brauer’s strategy to avoid being blackmailed. Listening to the story, he understood that Count Brauer didn’t want a cooperative relationship with Adelina. He wanted to remain in a superior position. Therefore, he didn’t reveal any weaknesses that could be exploited later.
“I didn’t want to be involved. I knew I would regret it, even if I became a Court Mage, once I was involved. That said, I regret it now. I shouldn’t have listened to that man.”
And so, Barnabas was unable to become a Court Mage. Count Brauer, apparently a man of his word, generously supported Adelina after she became a Court Mage. However, she only received that support for one year. In the second year, as Adelina had established her position as a Court Mage, other nobles approached her, asking her to take their daughters as disciples. By accepting them as disciples, she severed ties with Count Brauer and succeeded in securing the cooperation of new nobles.
“Is that all that happened seven years ago?”
“Yes. That’s everything from seven years ago. Ah. I feel relieved now that I’ve told you. I wondered why I had to expose my past to such a cheeky brat, but it’s good that I was able to say the truth I’d never told anyone. I’ll thank you.”
“Thank you. But why don’t you tell the Mage Association everything? According to the Association’s story, you were also at fault. If you were threatened—”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Adelina gave a gentle smile, a stark contrast to her demeanor before.
“I was undoubtedly the one who created the trigger. I regretted it, and I worked hard to become a good Court Mage, even making up for Barnabas. But as you say, I ruined one person’s life, so the fact that I was threatened is irrelevant.”
The information transmitted to the Association was likely Count Brauer’s. However, Adelina accepted it, even if the fact that she was threatened was not conveyed. It was all due to her guilt over participating in Barnabas’s fraudulent act.
“I expected Barnabas to eventually find out everything and seek revenge, but it surprisingly took him a while.”
“It gave him enough time to become strong enough to kill a Minotaur single-handedly.”
“…A Minotaur, huh… I guess I can’t win against him, after all.”
Adelina seemed surprised by Barnabas’s greater-than-expected strength but showed no signs of despair. From her, Jared sensed an expression of resignation that someone about to fight should never have.
“Hey. You’re not thinking of atoning for your sins by dying, are you?”
In response to Jared’s question, Adelina offered a weak smile.
