“Lord Jared, what is it?”
“Ah, sorry. I was trying to sort things out, but I ended up not understanding what they’re thinking on the other side, so I couldn’t organize it.”
“I apologize. I shouldn’t have said anything unnecessary.”
“No, that’s not true. But there are problems, aren’t there?”
“…Yes. Not only Cassandra but even Ricardo is being targeted.”
“We also handled the guards and escorts that were prepared, so what should we do?”
When they stormed the mansion, all they thought about was getting Ricardo and the others out, but in the current situation, they wanted to avoid doing that.
With Cassandra and even her older brother being targeted, it was preferable for them to be believed to be imprisoned within the mansion.
“Lord Ricardo, I have something I’d like to ask you.”
“What is it, Clawence?”
“Is there a room for the Young Lady in this mansion?”
“Of course there is. Oh. Are you perhaps planning to search her room?”
“Yes. I’ll likely be reprimanded, but I thought there might be some clue.”
At the words of the silent Old Maid, Ricardo closed his eyes as if in thought and replied, “Very well.”
“I’ll guide you.”
“You’ll allow it?”
“I owe Cassandra. But more than that, I don’t want that child to become a great sinner.”
“But weren’t you assisting the Young Lady, Lord Ricardo?”
“Hahaha, I have no reply when you say that. I wanted to do something for that child. If she wants to revive the Progenitor for the sake of her benefactor named Rasmus, then so be it. But I cannot overlook my sister dying.”
For Ricardo, the revival of the Progenitor and the murder of the Progenitor might not matter. Despite having a past where he didn’t treat her as a sister, he wanted to repay Cassandra, who had saved him when his mother targeted his life.
“Even though it will be repaying kindness with evil, I want that child to live.”
It is unknown what will happen to the consciousness of the human who becomes the vessel if they lodge the Progenitor within themselves and achieve revival. However, if they murder it, the human who becomes the vessel along with the Progenitor should die.
Presumably, Cassandra had no intention of telling her older brother this fact. If she had, she would have known that her brother, with whom she had built a sibling relationship and come to an understanding, would stop her.
“I thank God that you two appeared here today. Please, I beg you. Help her while she can still be brought back.”
***
Jared and Clawence were in Cassandra’s private room, to which Ricardo had guided them.
Dennis had taken Ricardo, who said he didn’t want to search his sister’s room, and gone to wake up the guards they had subdued, so he was not here.
“It’s just a large number of books on magic. Amazing, there are even descriptions of magic that are clearly said to be lost in this era.”
“The previous head of the family also focused on collecting things related to magic. Starting with the books here, magic tools, and then magicians. He obtained whatever he could.”
“You even collected magicians. That’s bad taste.”
“No, that’s a misunderstanding. My master admired the talent for magic that he himself lacked. Therefore, he kept talented magicians, who were treated unfairly because they were not nobles, by his side, gave them positions, and provided support to their families. It wasn’t just magicians. He provided as much support as possible to not only knights, teachers, artists, and chefs, but also to the household staff who served him.”
As they worked, their conversation continued.
“Cassandra’s mother was also a talented magician. Initially, my master supported my wife, who was treated unfairly because she was from a baronial family. From there, they were drawn to each other, she was taken as a consort, and the Young Lady was born.”
“It was an arranged marriage.”
“It’s unusual for nobles, as Lord Jared from a baronial family should understand.”
“Of course. My own encounter with Olivier wasn’t, well, very good either.”
“If things are well now, I think it’s fine. Marriages among nobles always have some ulterior motive. It’s not uncommon for men to marry their main wife, fulfill their noble duties, and then pursue romance.”
“That probably causes all sorts of troublesome things.”
Clawence gave a wry smile at Jared’s weary voice.
It was well-known among nobles that the boy had been caught up in the ducal family’s internal strife. Additionally, there was a murder case caused by a former court magician candidate, and in his native Daum Baronial Family, it was revealed that one of the consorts had given birth to a child fathered by someone other than her husband.
The Old Maid felt a sense of pity for the boy who had endured so much hardship at a young age, but on reflection, his mother, Liz Murphy, had also been surrounded by unwanted turmoil. She wondered if he had inherited something that attracted trouble.
“Oh, I’m looking for something, and dealing with troublesome things.”
“…Lord Jared?”
“Lord Clawence, we have assassins.”
At the boy’s words, they turned their faces to the window as if startled. Then, several figures clad in black could be seen lurking in the shadows of the trees, seemingly surveying the mansion.
“I mean, I was wondering how they were able to protect Lord Ricardo and the others with such minimal guards until now. I see. So, the attackers are also on that level.”
“However, thanks to that, we were able to hear the Young Lady’s story.”
“Then, to repay that, let’s beat those guys up and make them spill the beans on their client.”
As Jared said this, he quietly opened the window and placed his foot on the sill.
“Lord Jared, what are you doing?”
“Lord Clawence, please regroup with Dennis and inform him about the assassins. He may have already noticed, but just in case. I have no intention of playing catch-up, so I’ll be going now.”
Before the Old Maid could stop him, he leaped out the window.
The surprised male voices and screams reached their ears. Then, Jared’s angry shouts and the sound of magic exploding.
“For someone who appears to be thinking, you act purely on emotion, just like you, Liz.”
Deciding it was safe to leave the assassins to the boy, Clawence hurried to reunite with his disciple.
