······I open my eyes.
My vision clears slowly, and beyond it everything is opaque, as if wrapped in dark-red fog. The boundary between sky and earth is vague.
The sensation of standing alone in the darkness.
And yet I am not alone. Not far away, there is someone calling my name.
—Deculein.
His voice lies thick and low like poison, pressing down on my heart. An uncommon emotion blooms from the bottom of my chest.
Something I had long forgotten—“fear.”
—My son.
The only man Deculein feared, his direct ascendant and father, the former head of the family who led Yukline to glory: Dikaillen.
He gazes down at Deculein with black-red eyes and declares:
—I have found a suitable vessel.
From Dikaillen’s voice, his gesture, his pupils, his atmosphere······ from all of it, the emotions Deculein feels flow into me with startling clarity.
The nape of my neck stiffens and goosebumps rise. It feels as if my entire soul is trembling.
Yet, no matter how I think about it, it is strange.
Did Deculein possess such a “system”? Did he even have an organ that accepted something like fear?
Was Deculein not a human whose brain was damaged to some degree?
Thus, I am suspicious.
This emotion is not something Dikaillen stirred up, but merely the result of an “effect.”
Magical brainwashing—in other words, the artificial encroachment of Dikaillen, who was called the Art Mage of the century.
“······.”
I look at Dikaillen. I dispel the fog that obscures him. I stare straight at the outward form of Dikaillen buried in Deculein’s unconscious.
—Deculein. My son.
A man who resembles Deculein—no, who is even colder and sharper than him.
A human image that suits Yukline’s family maxim, “Fear the devil,” to perfection.
—Bring it to me.
Deculein fears him, and that emotion transfers to me as well······.
“I am not Deculein.”
But it is not to the point that I cannot overcome it. Whatever brainwashing had been engraved upon Deculein’s body in the past, to me, now possessing the body of the 「Man of Steel」, it is nothing more than a laughable trick.
—My son.
I approached him. I did not hesitate in the slightest. I simply advanced with dignity and seized his neck with both hands.
At that instant.
Memories flowed in. A certain scene rose to mind as if a switch had been flipped.
“······Dikaillen.”
Dikaillen, the head of Yukline who had been satisfied with neither Deculein nor Yeriel.
What that incarnation of desire wanted was······
A “vessel.”
“You wanted a new family head.”
And, at the same time, a certain thought flashed through my mind.
[ Independent Quest: Family ]
That day. I had surely killed Dikaillen’s personality together with Yeriel, but there had been no message announcing the quest’s completion.
Which meant.
Dikaillen’s trial was still——
——Chiiiiiik!
A vivid mechanical sound awakens my consciousness.
The illusion vanishes, and reality fills its place.
“It’s all over!”
The person announcing that was Adrienne.
I slowly raised myself. I looked at the cylindrical machine I had been lying in until just now.
“There wasn’t much of anything!”
Its official name was the [Magical Engineering Brainwave Explorer]. It was a machine developed on the Floating Island that delved into a subject’s unconscious.
Adrienne had ordered this test under the pretext of “personal verification.”
“Was that a necessary process?”
“Of course!”
I straightened my clothes as I approached her.
“It would be troublesome if a candidate happened to be a spy from another country, or colluding with the Ashes, or a fanatical supporter of the Round Table!”
“You can distinguish that with this?”
“Of course! We’ve filtered out thousands of spies with this alone! Its performance also changes depending on whose mana is used to operate it!”
“······.”
“And I used my mana!”
I looked at Adrienne with a slightly uncomfortable expression. If that unconscious vision just now had been transmitted to the Chairwoman as well······.
Perhaps my concern was correct, for she smiled brightly.
“Don’t worry! I’m tight-lipped!”
I shook my head.
Chiiiiik—!
Just then, the mechanical sound rang out again. It was the second candidate, Ihelm.
“Ah, Ihelm is finished too!”
“Hah······ hah······.”
Drenched in sweat, the man repeated rough breaths. Had he had a nightmare?
“Please sit!”
Adrienne gestured with her chin, and the two of us sat down side by side.
“The first personal verification is over! You both passed!”
“Thank you.”
It was Ihelm, now clean thanks to 「Cleanse」, who spoke. Adrienne tucked the “brainwave exploration result sheet” into her bosom and looked at me.
“By the way, Professor Deculein?”
“Yes.”
“I finally understood Professor Deculein’s thesis to some extent!”
Adrienne wore an expression of renewed admiration. Ihelm turned to look at me and gave a small smirk.
“Is that so? How was our Professor Deculein’s thesis?”
“Indeed! It was good! At this level, even as pure theory, the Floating Island will heap praise upon it!”
The Chairwoman raised her thumb. Ihelm’s smile deepened further.
“Also, to explain the hearing! The hearing schedule may become longer or shorter! Aside from the witnesses you two have brought in, there will also be ‘common witnesses’ invited by our board of directors! We intend to reexamine the standing and achievements of you both in the magical world!”
“That is only natural.”
Ihelm answered leisurely, and I merely nodded.
Adrienne said,
“Now! I’ll give you about two more hours, so each of you go and prepare yourselves individually!”
* * *
“First, the strategy is as follows.”
As soon as Ihelm returned, he prepared for the hearing. Together with dozens of people: professors, mages, and members of his family under his command.
“Deculein’s poor publication record comes first. In the past four years, Deculein has submitted only one thesis, and even that, as confirmed through Adrienne’s interview, is a theory that has not been proven through experimentation.”
Boasting of achievements or pledges cannot become effective attacks. The most effective method is to damage the person called Deculein himself.
“Therefore, we will attack the uncertainty of the thesis and add the reputations of those who were once under Deculein.”
Ihelm simply listened at ease.
It was a bit regrettable to say this to his subordinates, who had prepared so diligently, but in truth, all of this was nothing more than byproducts.
The true trap was unknown even to them.
“The reason why Deculein, despite being Head Professor, has only three people under him. That defect in his character······.”
The thesis Deculein had already submitted, 「The Creation of Pure Elements and Four-Series Magic Based Thereon」.
Ihelm already knew whose idea it truly was.
To begin with, not only that idea, but every single one of Deculein’s past theses—all of them—belonged to “that man.”
“······Therefore, we will ask the witnesses chiefly about Deculein’s character.”
Deculein has no choice but to be caught in this trick.
If he is the Deculein whose pride pierces the heavens, close to arrogance, and who detests more than anyone the act of someone damaging him.
If he is the lofty Deculein I know.
Then he will surely thrust his Achilles’ heel into this trap······.
* * *
Sophien made an appearance at the Magic Tower. However, she did not bother to announce it to the outside.
She had left a magic doll in the Imperial Palace, and she herself disguised herself as a robed “common witness.” This seemed like it would be more amusing.
“······.”
Sophien looked around the hearing room. The space itself was divided into four sections.
On the right was Deculein’s camp, on the left Ihelm’s camp, in front the directors’ judging seats, and in the rear the seats for common witnesses.
Sophien sat among the common witnesses. For reference, Keiron had been—since yesterday—pretending to be a statue against the wall of the hearing room.
In addition, Yuli was pacing around outside. Perhaps her heart was burning with anxiety because this was the opportunity of a lifetime for the man who would become her husband.
“Now! Now! Now! Everyone, please take your seats!”
At that moment, Adrienne appeared with a clear, ringing voice. Sophien watched her closely.
“We will soon begin the first hearing!”
Archmage Adrienne. Certainly, she could sense an aura from her that was of a different texture from humans.
“Mm!”
Adrienne and the directors first sat in the judging seats. Sophien watched silently.
“Deculein and Ihelm! Both candidate camps, please enter!”
Then the door opened, and Deculein and Ihelm appeared.
Ihelm had all sorts of people trailing behind him, but Deculein had only one assistant professor.
“I knew that bastard’s personality would make him do that.”
Sophien smirked.
A pitiful man with not a single friend he could trust to watch his back. An overburdened and arrogant man who simply tries to resolve everything alone.
That is Deculein.
“The first order of business is questioning of the common witnesses!”
The hearing proceeded exactly according to the agenda. First, the common witness Adrienne had invited sat in the central witness seat.
“Please introduce yourself!”
—I am Astar of the Floating Island.
Astar, a student of Deculein’s advanced lecture and the spiritual pillar of the addicts of the Floating Island, had attended.
“Addict Astar. I heard that you personally reviewed most of Professor Deculein’s theses.”
Ihelm’s camp asked him about matters related to Deculein’s theses.
—Yes. I reviewed all the theses Professor Deculein submitted over the past ten years.
“What about the professor’s recently written 「The Creation of Pure Elements and Four-Series Magic Based Thereon」?”
—I have seen the “outline” of the thesis, but nothing beyond that yet. Personally, I am looking forward to it.
“I see.”
Sophien looked at Deculein.
Ihelm’s camp was working so hard, yet that Deculein bastard was exceedingly relaxed. Peaceful. As if playing chess in the middle of a battlefield.
“How was it when you saw only the outline?”
—At first, I thought it was absurd.
“Absurd?”
Got him! Someone in Ihelm’s camp smiled.
—Yes. However, Chairwoman Adrienne gave it a strong guarantee.
“Yes, that’s right!”
The Chairwoman cut in.
“That thesis is not absurd at all! I can guarantee it! And anyway, within this month, the original copy I reviewed will be sent up to the Floating Island!”
—Ah!
At that, starlight settled in Astar’s eyes. He smiled brightly, as if sincerely happy.
—Then I shall look forward to it!
“······Hm.”
Ihelm’s camp sat down without saying much.
Adrienne sent a glance to Deculein. It meant that if he had anything he wanted to ask, he should ask it, but Deculein did not move an inch.
Only the assistant professor beside him fidgeted like a puppy desperate to relieve itself.
“If there’s nothing! Next witness!”
The questioning afterward proceeded by changing the common witnesses one by one.
Personally, it was an extremely tedious process.
Unable to endure it any longer, Sophien let out a yawn.
“······Haaam.”
It is not entertaining.
It is bothersome.
It is not as if she had completely overcome sloth, and there was also a thing called inertia, so if she remained here in this nonsense, her ennui might relapse.
“We’ll take a short break!”
In the meantime, it became recess. Four hours had passed before anyone knew it.
In fact, she had slept in the middle.
“I’ll just leave. This isn’t fucking interesting at all.”
After muttering to Keiron, who would be listening from somewhere, she rose from her chair.
Step, step—
She left the hearing room and was about to get on the elevator.
“You’re leaving?!”
“······.”
Someone caught her.
A short little child—no.
It was Chairwoman Adrienne.
“Aww. Why not wait a little longer? It’s about to get interesting!”
“······You knew?”
“Knew what~?”
Adrienne tilted her head innocently. Wrinkles formed between Sophien’s brows.
“How insolent.”
“Hehe! Still, please stay a bit longer! You won’t be disappointed! The highlight starts now!”
“······.”
“I really, really recommend it!”
The Emperor glared at her intently.
The Chairwoman did not avoid those eyes, and ding—!
When the elevator arrived,
Sophien turned her body back toward the hearing room.
* * *
“Ah······.”
Epherene watched the entire hearing with hollow eyes. The crystal ball provided by Ihelm’s side projected the proceedings.
—Did everyone rest comfortably?! Now each camp will apply for witnesses!
Deculein’s witness was Louina.
As the Chief of Planning and Coordination, she chiefly explained Deculein’s fairness and impartiality, as well as the profits the Magic Tower had earned. She had even carefully attached documents.
—······Professor Deculein, in that process, any sacrifices or oppression—
—Enough.
Ihelm did not bother attacking Luina. He merely rose from his seat and spoke to Adrienne.
—I acknowledge Deculein’s competence as Chief of Planning and Coordination. Therefore, our side will now call a witness as well.
Ihelm looked at Deculein. A deep smile hovered around Ihelm’s lips, but Deculein paid him no mind.
Knock, knock—
At that moment, a knock sounded.
It was time.
Epherene tucked the letters into her breast and opened the door. Ihelm’s attendant, who had been waiting outside, said,
“Please follow me.”
“······.”
She nodded without a word.
Step— step—
Footsteps echoed through the corridor. Their reverberations.
With every step, her heart pounded, and nausea surged up.
Step— step—
Her steps came to a halt.
“······This is the place.”
The great doors of the hearing hall, at last reached.
Before them, Epherene took a deep breath.
“Haa······.”
“I will open it.”
“······Yes.”
Epherene resolutely straightened her clothes. Ihelm’s attendant grasped the doorknob, and creeeeak——
“······Ah. There she comes.”
Through the slowly widening gap, Ihelm came into view. He glanced at her, then introduced her with an elegant smile.
“The first witness. Solda Epherene.”
There were many people in the hearing hall. All of them looked at her.
“······”
Epherene walked in a straight line. She did not stagger in the slightest.
And so, she sat in the witness seat.
“······Please introduce yourself!”
“I am······ um, I am······ Solda Epherene. I am an assistant under Professor Deculein······.”
She looked into Deculein’s eyes. He was looking at her.
For some reason, her heart ached, and she felt sorrowful, but Epherene did not avoid his gaze.
Adrienne smiled brightly.
“And?”
“······And I am the daughter of ‘Solda Kagan,’ who was once Professor Deculein’s assistant.”
“Oho!”
Adrienne wore a mischievous smile. From behind her, Ihelm approached.
“Solda Epherene. I understand your father took his own life four years ago.”
Epherene clenched her teeth. Adrienne watched with enjoyment, and Ihelm continued calmly.
“I know the reason why. I also know why you have come here.”
Empress Sophien quickly surmised the whole story. Adrienne’s claim that she would not be disappointed seemed, to some extent, true.
“The thesis Professor Deculein submitted to the Chairwoman. What if the idea behind that thesis was not his own?”
The directors’ eyes widened.
A commotion broke out not only among the common witnesses’ seats, but also within Ihelm’s camp.
“And what if this was not the first time he committed such an act?”
Ihelm laughed softly and looked around at the directors.
“What will you do?”
They leaned toward one another as if to confer. The witnesses, including Astal and Luina, looked at Deculein.
Director Drumman asked,
“Then. Are you saying the thesis Professor Deculein submitted was not Professor Deculein’s own idea?”
Ihelm answered.
“Yes. Its conception and beginning belonged to someone else entirely.”
“Witness. Do you have evidence to support that statement?”
At that question, Epherene lifted her head. Then she took the letters from her breast.
“I have letters I exchanged with my father.”
Even then, Deculein said nothing. There was no excuse; he merely closed his eyes.
Drumman spoke again.
“······Your father may have harbored ill will toward Professor Deculein and fabricated them deliberately.”
“My father said······ that within the thesis’s conception—in other words, in a certain part where the circuit connects—he hid a ‘magic mark’ linked to his own blood.”
Oh-ho— Ihelm clapped his hands together.
Indeed, that man was not the sort of person to simply suffer in silence. Someday, surely, he had prepared the very clue that would destroy Deculein.
“A magic mark! How very—”
“I understand the hearing is not scheduled for a single day.”
Epherene cut Ihelm off at once.
“I understand the hearing is not scheduled for a single day. If it is investigated and revealed fairly······ that will be enough. I trust my father, but······.”
“Mm! Indeed!”
Adrienne nodded and briefly brought the situation under control. The murmuring in the hall had now grown irritating.
“Professor Deculein. Do you have anything to say?!”
Epherene’s gaze, and everyone else’s, fell upon Deculein.
Without a word, he looked up at Adrienne. His eyes seemed rather reproachful.
“Do you~ have nothing~ to say~?”
“······.”
Adrienne drew out the end of her words while avoiding that gaze, and in the end.
“Pfft!”
She burst into laughter. Epherene clenched the two fists resting on her thighs.
“Why are you laughing······?”
Ihelm was momentarily flustered. The directors, who had been thrown into confusion by the sudden scandal, were the same.
“Yes, well. You were going to find out eventually anyway!”
Epherene looked at Adrienne. She cleared her throat with a hem-hem.
“Then I’ll disclose it.”
It was clearly a serious situation.
Yet Adrienne’s sudden cheerfulness was something Epherene could not understand.
Perhaps they had already colluded. Or perhaps she herself had made some enormous mistake.
“Professor Deculein submitted that thesis to me ten days ago, and after I completed my review, I had already sent it to the Floating Island.”
Meanwhile, Sophien folded her arms. Looking in turn at Deculein, Epherene, Ihelm, and Adrienne, she gave a faint smile.
It was a good thing she had not left midway.
“The first author of that thesis is indeed Deculein.”
Ihelm smiled, and Epherene pinched her own thigh. She suddenly felt as though she might cry.
However, in the very next moment.
“But! There is one more person. In other words, he is a co-author.”
Adrienne’s voice suddenly settled softly.
The meaning contained in that sentence was so strange that Epherene stared blankly for a moment.
“Wh-what? Just now. Co, co-what?”
Ihelm stammered.
And not without reason, for if it were the Deculein he knew, it was something he absolutely could not have done—no, something he absolutely would never have done.
He would sooner die clutching the thesis to his chest than ever allow something as pride-wounding as a co-author—
“That name is······.”
Everyone in the hearing hall focused on Adrienne.
Adrienne, sincerely enjoying that attention, and the chaos—or perhaps the bloodbath—that would unfold in the next moment, brimming with happiness······
Pointed at Epherene with her finger.
“Kagan Luna. Your father.”