Jared cautiously lowered his guard against the girl in white, who introduced herself as Mia. He knew he wouldn’t be able to get any information about Luzer from her otherwise.
“Just in time, I had something I wanted to ask you. What did you mean the other day when you said my voice couldn’t reach Luzer?”
“It means exactly what I said. I’ve come today because I have a favor to ask of you regarding that.”
“A favor?”
“Please, help Luzer.”
Jared was, needless to say, surprised when Mia bowed deeply as she spoke. He didn’t even know what he was supposed to be saving Luzer from and waited for her to elaborate, but she showed no sign of lifting her bowed head.
“For now, please raise your head. I don’t understand. What are you trying to save Luzer from?”
As Mia slowly raised her head, her tearful face blurted out the words,
“Brainwashing.”
“—!”
Jared was speechless.
“Luzer escaped the facility with you, but he was recaptured. Because he had already caught the attention of Dolf Ein, he was subjected to brainwashing magic.”
“Nonsense, brainwashing magic… Such a thing was only possible centuries ago!”
He might add that even during the golden age of magic, brainwashing was shunned. It was magic developed by malicious, unscrupulous magicians solely to create slaves or mere fighting soldiers. Brainwashing, which could reportedly shatter a person’s personality and rebuild it to one’s liking, had few users even back then and was considered extremely difficult. He couldn’t believe that modern magicians could wield it. For that matter, how could it be reproduced today when brainwashing magic itself had been lost?
“I heard that Waalthe, the leader of Waalthe, has been alive since the era when magic flourished. His collection of texts contains many lost magics, and it seems Dolf, taking advantage of his position as a close aide, managed to steal them. However, that man, who was not blessed with talent as a magician, could not master brainwashing magic.”
“I figured as much.”
Even with the texts, ancient magic was not so simple that it could be used overnight. It seemed that magicians of that era far surpassed modern magicians in both aptitude and magic power, so there were many magics that could not be reproduced today, even if the method was known. While he didn’t know how skilled Dolf Ein was as a magician, he was fully convinced upon hearing that he couldn’t master brainwashing. In fact, if he had been told he could, he would have doubted the credibility of Mia’s words and dismissed them entirely.
“However, that man cast an imperfect brainwashing magic on Luzer. To compensate for the incomplete magic, he tried to turn Luzer into a tool with the objective of implanting hatred towards you and seeking revenge.”
Just listening made anger well up inside him.
“But Luzer’s mental fortitude was strong, and as a result of his resistance, he awakened to the Lightning Element magic—which led him to resent and hate Jared Murphy without reason, and follow Dolf Ein in pursuit of revenge.”
“That gives me one more reason to not forgive Dolf Ein. So, you mentioned being partners, but you have a role, don’t you?”
“Yes. My role is… to be the medium for maintaining the brainwashing magic cast on Luzer.”
Before he knew it, Jared had closed in on the girl and had her by the throat with one hand. He hadn’t killed her, but if he continued, she would eventually die. He was fine with that. He reasoned that if this girl were gone, Luzer’s magic would be undone.
“By me, being by Luzer’s, side, and supplying him, magic power… the incomplete, brainwashing, magic is, maintained.”
“Then I’ll kill you here and now. For brainwashing my benefactor, my older brother!”
As he prepared to snap her neck in his rage,
“If, dying, will undo, the brainwashing, then, I will, gladly die.”
Her words, spoken not as a plea for her life but as a willingness to die for Luzer, and the tears she shed, made him loosen his grip. He waited for the girl, who had collapsed to her knees and was coughing heavily, to compose herself, then prompted her in a cold voice.
“Continue.”
“Yes. If I refused my role in maintaining the brainwashing, I would undoubtedly be disposed of. But that doesn’t frighten me. I would gladly give this life for Luzer. However, there is a reason why I cannot.”
“What reason is there?”
“When that man cast the imperfect brainwashing magic on Luzer, he did so almost by force. Because of that, I must periodically suppress disturbances in his magic power and infuse him with external magic power to maintain it. Simultaneously, I don’t know what effects the incomplete brainwashing magic will have on Luzer if its maintenance is stopped.”
“So that’s why you’re only focused on maintaining the current situation?”
The girl nodded weakly. However, there were still things he didn’t understand. Even with such a predicament, he didn’t know what he could do to help when she asked for assistance. To find out, he asked Mia.
“What do you want from me?”
“Please lend me your strength to save Luzer.”
“I understand that. What do I need to do for that?”
“—Kill Dolf Ein.”
“Understood. I will kill Dolf Ein.”
Mia’s eyes widened in surprise at Jared’s immediate response. Then, with a trembling voice full of hope, she asked,
“Are you sure?”
He nodded in response to her pleading question.
“Of course. Not only can I not forgive him for treating Luzer like a tool, but he also implanted him with vengeful feelings and hatred towards me—I absolutely cannot forgive him.”
“But you’ll be killing someone?”
“It’s not something I can boast about, but I won’t say I’ve never killed anyone. I promise. I will definitely save Luzer.”
“Thank you.”
She had probably been carrying this burden alone, unable to confide in anyone. The girl, who wished to save Luzer, had secured Jared’s cooperation and, perhaps her heart softening, began to sob. Thanks to Mia, Jared now knew what he had to do. Luzer would undoubtedly appear before him as an unprecedentedly strong foe. However, he would defeat him without killing him. Then, he would defeat Dolf Ein and break Luzer’s brainwashing. That was Jared Murphy’s duty.
“One last thing, tell me. Why do you want to save Luzer so badly?”
What he couldn’t understand the most was Mia’s reason for acting. Had she developed an attachment after a year of traveling together, or was it simply guilt?
“Luzer gave me the name Mia when I didn’t even have one. He is a precious person who always protected me by his side. I love Luzer from the bottom of my heart. Therefore, I want to save him.”
“I see. Then let’s save him. Together.”
Jared extended his hand to the nodding Mia and pulled her to her feet. Although he had felt anger towards Mia at one point, now that he knew she was as deeply concerned for Luzer as he was, she was an important collaborator. Having learned the truth, Jared renewed his resolve in preparation for the coming battle.
