“A secretary?”
Jared tilted his head at the unfamiliar word.
“Court Mages are permitted to have two or three mages as secretary officers, chosen from the Mage Corps. To put it bluntly, Court Mages excel solely in combat aspects and specialized personal abilities. When serving the country, assistants are absolutely necessary. However, to prevent mages from being controlled under the guise of secretary officers, there are limits on their numbers. That’s why neither Adeline nor I can have Ernesta by our side.”
“I see,” Jared replied, understanding dawning.
The situations where a Court Mage’s power is needed are often battlefields, or combat.
For Court Mages who are expected to focus on combat, or are only capable of it, by having skilled individuals from the Mage Corps by their side — to put it harshly, they can be kept on a leash.
However, if there were no limits on numbers, there’s a possibility of a private force forming under the guise of secretary officers. That’s likely why the number is limited to two or three. As for secretaries, that many would be sufficient.
“Initially, I consulted the Mage Association about Ernesta. That’s where your name came up. I heard you haven’t prepared anything regarding a secretary yet.”
“First of all, the idea of preparing a secretary is completely new to me…”
“I’m sure it is. I don’t know the details, but apparently, there have been various things happening around you that are different from before, so they held back. Also, even though becoming a Court Mage has been decided, you won’t be appointed immediately. It would be best to be appointed quickly, but in your case, it’s special.”
“Special?”
Even with him saying so, Jared felt no sense of it. In his entire life, he had never thought of himself as special.
“Just being chosen from a Court Mage Candidate and being set to become a Court Mage in the shortest amount of time is special. Also, you might not like me saying this, but you are Liz Murphy’s son. There has never been a parent and child who became Court Mages for two generations. The populace might not care, but the Mage Association has expectations.”
He had his thoughts, but he swallowed them, deciding it was better to have expectations than none.
“Truthfully, from being chosen as a Court Mage to being appointed is quite troublesome. For normal individuals, it takes several months. Interacting with other Court Mages, making an appearance to the Mage Corps — you might face some backlash from younger individuals like yourself who are students at the Royal Academy. Then, after coordinating with the Mage Association and meeting with members of the Royal Family, you finally become a Court Mage. Do you understand why a secretary is necessary?”
“Yes, well…”
It would be extremely difficult to manage his schedule alone.
“Immediately after being appointed by the King, you’ll be given a mission to demonstrate your abilities as a Court Mage.”
“A mission?”
“Yes. In my case, it was to annihilate a wyvern’s nest. Adeline’s was to hunt down rogue mages who were causing trouble in gangs at the time.”
Fortunately, there are no major wars, so encountering humans is reportedly rare. Still, dangerous missions are apparently given.
It seems that failing a mission won’t result in removal from the position of Court Mage, but no one has ever failed one so far.
“Becoming a Court Mage has its merits, but it also has demerits. For a while, you may be plagued by disadvantages. That’s precisely why a secretary should be by your side to lessen the burden.”
“And you’re recommending Ernesta Kaif for that secretary position?”
“No… Please don’t misunderstand. While I wished for her to be your secretary earlier, it’s just about interviewing her as part of the normal selection process for a secretary. Once she’s selected as a candidate, people’s perception of her will change.”
“Is that so?”
“Anyone selected as a Court Mage’s secretary must be exceptional. In a way, the secretary occupies a position between the Court Mage and the Mage Corps. Of course, if you ask whether they rank higher than the Commander or unit leaders of the Mage Corps, then no, but the position of a Court Mage’s aide is still significant. And the fact that she’s a candidate matters too.”
“I understand. If I can be of even the slightest help, I will nominate Ernesta Kaif as a candidate and have her interviewed.”
Upon hearing Jared’s words, Tres let out a sigh of relief.
“I’m grateful, Jared. Naturally, if you like her, you can make her your secretary, and if you don’t, you can reject her. However, I guarantee that she is a highly capable individual.”
“Yes. But do you think she would want to be my secretary?”
She was, after all, the one who killed his older brother. While he wanted to help her, there was a possibility of her rejecting his outstretched hand, just like Tres and Adeline might have done.
Frankly, she might even harbor resentment.
“I myself don’t know how she feels about you. I know it’s presumptuous of me to ask this knowing that, but please, just conduct an interview. I want to improve her situation even a little.”
Jared could see the sincerity in Tres’s deep bow. He was a good person. Due to his father, the relationship with Barnabas Kaif was broken and could never be repaired, but he likely wanted to do something for his younger sister and the family that remained. Adeline, who wasn’t here, surely felt the same.
“Originally, Barnabas was driven to revenge because of us. We should be the ones doing something to atone, but… I’m sorry. I feel ashamed relying on you.”
“Please look up. I won’t be able to talk properly like this.”
Tres and Adeline owed him for helping during the fight with Cornelia Alway and Dolf Ein. More than that — Jared felt indebted to Ernesta Kaif.
“I intend to repay this debt in any way I can. It might sound presumptuous, or unnecessary, but I want to help you avoid getting caught up in factional disputes. Adeline and I have relatively few ties and our factions are ambiguous. If you ever find yourself in trouble, you can mention our names, or use us. You can also use us.”
“You don’t have to go that far… In any case, I accept the matter regarding Ernesta Kaif. Please tell me what I need to do.”
“—Thank you! Then, let’s go to the Mage Association together.”
“The Mage Association?”
“Yes. There should already be many people who want to be your secretary. The point of contact is the Mage Association. Some people might approach you directly if they have connections, but judging by your reaction, you don’t, do you?”
“Nothing so far—or rather, is there even anyone who would want to be my secretary?”
“I’ve heard there are already several candidates. That’s why I rushed to ask about Ernesta today.”
As a result, Tres’s judgment was correct.
If he had hesitated and hadn’t conveyed Ernesta’s situation to Jared, the Mage Association would have contacted him, and a selection process for secretary officers would likely have begun for his future benefit. In that case, there would have been no room for Ernesta. That is, unless she had actively applied for the position herself, but since he was nominating her, it was a different matter.
Jared was about to take a step towards becoming a Court Mage. At the same time, thinking of Ernesta Kaif, whom he had yet to meet, he felt uncharacteristically nervous.
