When night fell, Rasmus returned with information.
“It’s my fault this happened. I asked for help, so I apologize for everything that has come of it.”
No one blamed the boy who bowed his head to Olivier and the others.
While they were not unindاضbled by the indignant rage over their fiancé’s forceful arrest, blaming him would not solve the problem. Therefore, they should remain calm and rational, rather than emotional.
Olivier, Pfeil, and Rosa accompanied Rasmus to the reception room.
There was an offer from Jared’s two secretaries to join, but having involved them, they did not wish for anything to happen to them as well.
“After pulling some strings, it seems Jared is under house arrest at a separate residence in the Hagedorff Ducal Territory.”
“Is he alright?”
“You can rest assured. He is safe.”
Everyone was relieved by Jared’s safety. However, the problem was far from solved, so their relief was short-lived.
“Hmph. You say he’s safe, but imprisonment for forbidden magic usually leads to the Mage Association or a prison, not a ducal territory. That’s quite strange.”
“As Pfeil says, Cassandra Hagedorff’s true intentions are unclear. We should consider her to have gone too far.”
Rosa and the others were puzzled by Cassandra’s actions, simply capturing Jared without any further displays.
“I’m worried about Jared, but I’m also worried about Cassandra. If someone as intelligent as her has done something so foolish, she likely hasn’t thought through the consequences.”
“And…?”
“It’s unclear what she intends to do after reviving the Progenitor, but it’s highly possible that she herself will become the vessel.”
“Yes, you mentioned that.”
“My fear is that Cassandra might have become reckless, thinking that if she’s going to be a vessel anyway, it doesn’t matter how extreme her actions are.”
Olivier shared Rasmus’s concerns.
Cassandra’s actions were beyond reason. She had spoken with her father, who had returned from the Royal Palace, for a short while.
No matter how much head of the ducal family she was, arresting another ducal family’s fiancé on almost trumped-up charges and storming into their separate residence was an act of overreach.
There were already voices calling for Cassandra’s arrest and removal from her position as head of the ducal family.
Indeed, she had done a great deal. Cassandra Hagedorff had committed such acts.
However, strangely, Harald Alway and the Royal Palace’s reactions were too subdued.
It was expected that the Royal Palace and her father would be enraged by Cassandra’s overreach and dispatch troops to apprehend her immediately. In fact, many voices were raised demanding just that. Yet, they had not acted.
— Perhaps something is happening behind our backs?
Olivier pondered this, but found no answer. While she might be overthinking it, she couldn’t help but feel that her father’s and the Royal Palace’s reactions were strange.
“I agree. It’s hard to believe, but perhaps Cassandra hasn’t thought about what comes after.”
It was highly probable that she believed that as long as the Progenitor was revived, nothing else mattered, not even her own fate or the future of the Hagedorff Ducal Family.
“If that’s the case, she will be a considerable enemy for us.”
No one could refute Pfeil, who wore a bitter expression.
They understood that Cassandra’s sole focus was on reviving the Progenitor. Beyond that was merely speculation, but it was not unreasonable to think that she intended to leave the aftermath to the Progenitor.
Given her past grievances with the Hagedorff Ducal Family, it was possible she didn’t care if her actions led to its downfall. In the first place, if she became the Progenitor’s vessel, she wouldn’t be able to think about such things.
Unlike Lucas Gallagher, who aimed to become King, she likely wouldn’t disregard herself. If she were to die, she wouldn’t be able to fulfill her purpose.
But if her only goal was the revival of the Progenitor, then Cassandra only needed to concentrate on that. Without worrying about anything else.
As Pfeil said, she was undoubtedly a troublesome enemy.
***
Time jumped back about a day.
Jared Murphy, who had been taken into custody, was being placed into a carriage prepared outside the mansion.
The only occupants with him were a knight who had arrested him and the coachman.
He could have defeated them and escaped if he had the will, but he had nowhere to flee and it would likely give them a formal reason for his arrest, so he remained immobile.
As Jared stood there passively, the knight suddenly spoke to him.
“It seems you’ve been through quite the ordeal, Lord Murphy.”
“…You’re kidding, right?”
“Oh, you recognized me immediately. It was wise not to speak at that time.”
Jared, surprised by the familiar voice, watched as the knight, who chuckled within his helmet, unfastened his equipment and revealed his true appearance.
“…Dennis.”
“I apologize for what I had to do. I will release you now.”
From within the armor, his acquaintance, Dennis Beckman, the first seat of the Court Mages and known as ‘Shadow,’ appeared with a gentle smile.
“Why?”
“I will explain everything on the way to the Hagedorff Ducal Territory.”
