“The reason for Dennis’s presence here?”
“Yes. Actually, I’ve been investigating Duke Cassandra Hagedorff because I suspected he was plotting something for a while.”
“…No way. You can’t be serious?”
I never imagined that the First Seat of the Court Mages had been investigating Cassandra. Just when I thought I was falling behind, the situation might actually turn in our favor.
“I was honestly surprised to see Rasmus there, but I’m relieved that things are progressing like this.”
“Even about Rasmus.”
“As the First Seat of the Court Mages, I’m aware of his background. Successive Kings are taught about the sealing of the Progenitor and about Rasmus by their predecessors. I learned it from the King. Of course, very few people know about it, and the reasons are self-evident.”
Dennis was right; it was better if fewer people knew about Rasmus. Even if he himself wasn’t dangerous, his origin, circumstances, and knowledge were extremely perilous. Above all, the means to live for an extended period would be something everyone would crave. It would be best to keep his existence a secret if possible.
“I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard it for the first time. Master Murphy, you must have been surprised by his existence and that of the Progenitor as well.”
“Hahaha… How many times have I been surprised in such a short time. –That’s not important, do you know anything about this matter concerning Duke Hagedorff?”
Dennis’s familiarity with the situation was surprising enough, but I wanted to know the reason he was directly involved even more. Dennis Beckman is the King’s confidant. Therefore, despite being a Court Mage, his existence is kept secret, and in his daily life, he works as an official of the Mage Association. In reality, he is also the Chairman of the Mage Association, but he seems to believe in working on the front lines.
“Well then, let’s start with Cassandra Hagedorff.”
“Please do.”
“Cassandra became the head of the Ducal Family at a young age, but it seems she had considerable conflict with her relatives to reach that point. Of course, family feuds are not uncommon. Especially when it comes to a Ducal Family, many issues become entangled.”
Jared agrees, though he doesn’t say it aloud. Olivier and her daughter had been targeted for years because the Consort tried to eliminate rivals to ensure her own child became the successor. Besides that, there was jealousy and hatred towards the Main Consort, Hannelore, but ultimately, it could all be dismissed as a family feud.
“However, I’ve heard that Cassandra eliminated her siblings using magic.”
“Does that mean she killed them?”
“No, I heard her siblings are still alive. I haven’t confirmed it myself, so I can’t be certain, but they are said to be alive.”
“…They are alive, you say.”
When family feuds occur, there are winners and losers. The winner becomes the head of the family, and the loser, depending on the circumstances, usually retires to their territory. In unfavorable cases, they might be purged, or they might lose their lives during the feud. If there were no conflict, brothers might support the head of the family, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with the Hagedorff Ducal Family. Cassandra’s siblings might not be dead, as Dennis says. However, considering the family situation I heard from Rasmus, they are unlikely to be well.
“To be honest, Cassandra is not registered as a Magician. In the first place, her ability to use magic was never even publicly acknowledged. In her case, she has never acted as a Magician. As the head of the Ducal Family, there might not be a need for registration, but it is often convenient to acknowledge it.”
In modern society, with magic declining and the number of Magicians decreasing, being a Magician is a form of status. Just possessing a certain level of magic power can lead commoners to be integrated into the nobility. Living in such a society, publicly acknowledging oneself as a Magician offers many advantages. For a young head of a Ducal Family like Cassandra, being a Magician would lend considerable prestige. Not doing so could be due to circumstances she wishes to conceal, or perhaps another reason entirely. Was she hiding her being a Magician to revive the Progenitor, or was it a secret weapon to fight her siblings? I have no idea.
“The Association wants them to register, but in reality, there are those who don’t need magic. I thought Cassandra wasn’t interested in magic either, but that was wrong.”
Dennis’s gentle expression twists into a stern one.
“Since she became the head of the Hagedorff Ducal Family, the relationship with the Mage Association has improved and become closer. She actively participated in meetings and has put effort into compensation for Magicians. I had a feeling of unease, wondering why she would go to such lengths. The Hagedorff Ducal Family’s role is to monitor the Mage Association, and no previous heads of the family acted like Cassandra.”
“It seems she has considerable influence within the Association.”
“Yes. For the past few years, she’s been trying to investigate something by swaying staff members. If it were just that, I might have overlooked it, but…”
“This current incident?”
“It’s not just that. The more I investigated, the more I realized she was doing something. I couldn’t grasp what it was, but recently, I finally managed to get a handle on her movements. No, that’s not right; I should say her movements have become sloppy.”
“Sloppy? But why now?”
“I have my doubts as well. Cassandra, who had been moving quietly and leaving as little trace as possible, suddenly started acting in a flustered manner. A prime example is the overly forceful arrest of Master Murphy. It’s true that the issue of making Petrify Magic a Forbidden Magic had been raised. However, it hadn’t even been voted on. Yet, she used the staff she had swayed to force it through.”
That resulted in my current predicament.
“Of course, it was her unilateral decision, and she had no authority to arrest anyone. However, I apologize to Master Murphy, but I saw it as an opportunity.”
“Ah, I’m starting to get that feeling.”
“As you’ve probably guessed by now, I used Master Murphy as bait.”
