Jared, having chosen his two secretaries and introduced them to Olivier and the others, decided to visit the Royal Mage Corps based on Ari and Ernesta’s advice.
Tres Brauer, a Court Mage, acted as the intermediary. Jared had recently sent him a letter informing him of his decision to appoint Ernesta as his secretary. In response, he received a letter filled with gratitude, which also mentioned that it would be good to visit the Mage Corps soon.
When Jared asked Tres to arrange a visit again, he quickly received a positive reply, along with a request to meet and talk.
And so, the next day, Jared visited the Royal Mage Corps headquarters with his secretaries.
“So this is the Royal Mage Corps headquarters.”
The grounds, located just before the Royal Palace, served as the Royal Mage Corps headquarters, featuring a training hall and a three-story building. Court Mages were also provided with offices, though many of them were based within the Royal Palace.
Generally, Court Mages did not get involved in the training of the Royal Mage Corps. While they might personally mentor individuals they cared about or those around them, the true leader of the Mage Corps was its Commander.
“…Still, I never imagined it would be right next to the Knights’ headquarters. They shouldn’t put people who don’t get along next door to each other.”
If the Mage Corps headquarters was to their right, then across the street to their left lay the Knights’ headquarters.
The animosity between mages and knights was well-known, so it was natural to expect the same between the Royal Mage Corps and the Royal Knights.
“I can’t really say this loudly, but fights break out almost every day. The Royal Palace seems concerned, but since they’ve determined there’s no actual damage, the relationship likely won’t improve anytime soon.”
Ernesta, a member of the Mage Corps, wore a bitter expression.
The feud between the two groups was long-standing. Mages possessed magic power and wielded magic, while knights honed their bodies to gain strength. Mages also trained, of course, but it was a fact that they tended to rely on magic. Knights, who openly called this “soft,” were met with mages’ retorts of “brainless brutes, shut up.”
It was said that even the Court Mages and Knight Commanders were on bad terms, indicating the problem ran deep.
There was even a tale that their headquarters used to be within the Royal Palace grounds, but due to their constant infighting, a king several generations prior had kicked them out, saying, “Go take it outside!”
“The knights I know don’t think highly of mages either. Half of it is probably jealousy.”
“Knights are jealous of mages?”
“Yes. You might not understand, Jared-sama and Ernesta-san, who are mages, but being born with magic power is a great blessing. Most knights don’t have magic power and have to spend years honing their swordsmanship. That’s why they’re jealous of mages who are naturally talented.”
“Well, even so, just because you’re born with magic power doesn’t mean everyone can become a mage, does it?”
Ari’s words were understandable, but Ernesta’s were not wrong.
Some people were born with magic power but could not become mages. And only a select few could become members of the Royal Mage Corps.
Furthermore, some individuals suffered from physical ailments due to their magic power, so it couldn’t be outright called a blessed talent.
“I understand the knights’ jealousy. When I was a child, I cried to my parents asking why I didn’t have magic power. It’s an embarrassing memory now, but…”
“Ari-san, you’ve liked magic since you were a child, haven’t you?”
“Oh, Ernesta-san doesn’t like magic?”
When asked, she made a troubled expression.
“I was born with magic power and lived my life under the expectation that I would become like my older brother, who had already blossomed with talent in magic. So, I never really thought about whether I liked it or not.”
“The Kaif Family has been a lineage of mages for generations, haven’t they? It seems there are mages’ own set of hardships when born into such a family. How about you, Jared-sama?”
“Me? Hmm, I just think of magic as a convenient tool.”
“It’s just that you say things so casually that would make Magician Supremacists enraged and die of anger…”
Jared tilted his head, wondering if he had said something odd, as Ari shrugged her shoulders in exasperation.
“Jared-sama, I think it would be better to refrain from making such remarks inside the headquarters. Some mages live and breathe for magic, so you might unnecessarily provoke them.”
“Everyone has their own way of thinking, so I understand. I’ll be careful with my words. —But it’s no use just staring at the headquarters forever, so let’s go inside.”
It had become quite hot during the day, and he didn’t want to stay outside any longer.
Entering the building wouldn’t necessarily make it cool, but it felt more comfortable than being under the scorching sun.
There were no objections, and the three of them stepped into the Royal Mage Corps headquarters together.
“Such unpleasant stares are being directed at us.”
Within five minutes, Ari twisted her face in displeasure.
“I’m sorry, it’s because of me…”
“Ernesta-san, there’s nothing for you to apologize for. I heard the Royal Mage Corps is for elite mages, but I’m impressed they can all harbor such malice towards a single woman.”
The reason for her displeasure was, needless to say, the cold stares directed at Ernesta. Tres had informed him of Ernesta’s situation as Barnabas Kaif’s younger sister, but he hadn’t expected it to be this severe. They looked at her as if she were a criminal, simply because she had a criminal for a brother. As if that weren’t enough, hushed whispers could be heard from all directions, audible only if one strained their ears.
—Honestly, I’m disappointed by their low level.
Jared had often been disliked at the academy due to jealousy. When he first got engaged to Olivier, unfounded rumors and heartless words had flown around the academy more than once or twice. He had sometimes ignored them, but they were, after all, the actions of students. There were limits.
However, the Royal Mage Corps was fundamentally composed of adults. To witness such childish discrimination was both astonishing and infuriating.
“I’ve grown accustomed to it. My brother’s actions were a crime, regardless of the reason. As his family, I was prepared for this.”
“Still, this is too much— Fine, I’ll just say something to them!”
“Whoa, whoa, calm down a bit. If you do that, Ernesta-san’s position will only worsen!”
Jared grabbed Ari’s arm, stopping her as her voice changed with her outburst of anger. Her ragged breathing showed that she genuinely cared for Ernesta. More than that, she was likely also deeply disappointed in the mages.
“The two Court Mages are working for Ernesta-san, so let’s avoid making things worse by stirring up trouble, okay?”
“Ari-san, thank you for being angry on my behalf. Your feelings alone make me truly happy, so please calm down.”
“…I’m frustrated, but I understand. I’ll endure it today. However, if the Court Mages remain slow to act, I won’t hold back.”
Ari’s expression was sullen, and while she couldn’t accept the situation, she refrained from taking action, which brought Jared a sense of relief. He couldn’t help but sigh at her more proactive nature than he had imagined.
However, Ernesta’s current predicament also needed to be addressed. According to Tres, simply having an interview as a secretary was expected to improve her standing, but at least in Jared’s eyes, that didn’t seem to be the case.
“For now, let’s go to Tres-sama, as we promised.”
As he said this and took a step forward.
“The sister of a criminal is fawning over a coward who became a Court Mage by exploiting the Duke’s family’s power—you shameless wretch!”
