"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
Why was she here?
How did she know I was here?
Before I could even think through those questions, Siel had already grabbed both my hands.
"It's been so long, Klein!"
"Ah, yes..."
"I heard you were in the reformatory. Are you alright? Were you hurt anywhere...?"
As if she had spent all this time worrying, Siel busily examined every part of my body.
'And how did she even find out I was dragged to the reformatory... no. Forget it.'
The moment I recalled the title written in the invitation, the current situation roughly made sense.
[Acting Head of House Aylasis.]
Even with the word "acting" attached, the weight carried by that title could not be ignored.
The girl worrying over me right now was the head of House Aylasis.
The Empire's greatest mage.
'If it's the intelligence network of a ducal house, finding my location would be easy.'
While I was thinking that, Arin suddenly poked her head out from behind me.
"Huh? It's the pretty young lady we saw back then!"
The moment Arin grabbed my collar and said that—
Twitch.
The corner of Siel 's eye twitched.
"What, you had acquaintances in Felician?"
When Stella revealed herself as well, Siel 's smile gradually deepened.
'Ah... right...'
Seeing Siel 's expression reminded me of the last time we parted.
A fiancé who left behind only a single letter before vanishing on her.
And now women were walking out of that same fiancé's inn room...
From the perspective of the fiancée, what would she think...?
'Ah, fuck. I'm dead.'
A terrible premonition jolted me awake.
This woman was a mage who crushed people into cubes because they interrupted her dates.
If I said even one wrong thing, a battle might break out right here...!
"You're Sister Stella of the Holy Order, correct?"
Just as I prepared myself for imminent disaster, Siel greeted Stella with a bright smile.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Siel La Aylasis, Young Master Klein's fiancée."
The way she lifted the hem of her dress and bowed radiated noble elegance.
"Ah."
Momentarily stunned by the sudden introduction, Stella hurriedly lowered her head.
"Stella Raphtalia, battle inquisitor of the Holy Order of Kersias."
Naturally, she also didn't forget to jab my side repeatedly while speaking.
'What is this? Why did your fiancée suddenly show up, and why did she mention my name too...?'
'Don't ask me. I don't understand what's going on either.'
While Stella and I silently blamed each other through eye contact—
"Hello!"
"...?"
Arin suddenly walked up to Siel and gave a deep bow.
"I'm the Young Master's maid, and my name is Arin!"
"Ah..."
"And this is Aul!"
As she said that, Arin held Aul out toward Siel with both hands.
"Kuuk?"
Siel stared silently at Arin for a moment.
And then—
Smile.
With a perfectly composed smile, she politely bowed her head toward Arin.
"So, why exactly did you make this surprise visit?"
When I asked that, Siel pulled out an invitation identical to mine from her chest.
"I'm heading to the banquet, but I needed a gentleman to escort me."
Hearing her words, I recalled the first line of the invitation.
[To commemorate the visit of the acting head of House Aylasis...]
'Don't tell me they were referring to her...'
I had already received the invitation.
And now she had personally come to fetch me.
There was no way I could refuse.
"Let's go."
The moment I nodded in resignation, Siel 's expression visibly brightened.
"But I'm currently on a pilgrimage, so I don't exactly have suitable clothes."
I said that while walking down the inn's second-floor stairs.
My travel clothes were covered in dust and grime from the desert.
But Siel simply grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
"L-Lady Siel . You've arrived..."
A mage of House Aylasis greeted Siel with absolute formality.
Smiling gently at the man bowing his head, Siel spoke.
"You prepared everything I ordered, right?"
"Y-yes...!"
At those words, the mage immediately lowered his head and opened one compartment of a carriage for me.
"Holy shit, what is all this?"
The carriage was filled with men's tailcoats and formal banquet uniforms.
Gold embroidery, Ogre leather, gemstones...
How much money did all this cost?
'You could probably build an entire fortress with this much.'
"Hm?"
While choosing clothes and personally experiencing the terrifying wealth of House Aylasis, I looked closely at the mage keeping his head lowered.
"Wait a second, you're...?"
"...!"
The man, whose face was half-covered by an iron mask, avoided my gaze.
A horribly crushed scar protruded from beneath the mask.
But through the vibrations of his soul, I recognized him.
"You were one of the five who attacked Leinrant back then, weren't you?"
One of the men Siel had nearly killed with magic.
But there was no trace left of the arrogance he once possessed.
"I-I truly apologize for that time. T-to think I dared..."
Unlike before, when he arrogantly looked down on me and Siel ,
now he trembled in fear while bowing to both of us.
'Becoming a duke is shocking enough, but what exactly has she been doing all this time...?'
His expression wasn't directed toward the head of a ducal house.
It was the face of someone looking at a monster.
Then, from behind the terrified man—
"Waaah~!"
Siel walked toward me with admiration in her eyes after seeing me dressed in the tailcoat.
"It suits you perfectly after all! Is there anywhere uncomfortable?"
"Nope. StrAnghely enough."
After randomly picking clothes from the carriage and trying them on, I moved around a little.
The prepared outfit fit my body perfectly.
'When exactly did she figure out my measurements...?'
Feeling a subtle sense of terror, I climbed into the carriage.
"So, I doubt the Duke of Aylasis really came all this way just to see my face."
The moment I said that, Siel let out a soft laugh.
"You're half right. Last time we met, we barely had any time together."
I had deliberately run away,
but I didn't bother saying that aloud.
Dressed in a black gown, Siel looked beautiful enough to belong in a painting.
But those cold eyes she turned toward the servants attending her—
to someone who knew her true nature, well...
It was deeply unsettling.
"Let's say half the reason was to see me. What's the other half?"
At my question, Siel answered with a smile still on her lips.
"I came to kill Elfran."
...Wait.
Who was she planning to kill?
"You mean Elfran Aylasis? Your father?"
I stared at Siel 's face, wondering if I had misheard.
A smile fixed in place like it had been sewn onto a doll.
"He lost the magical duel over the ducal seat and then ran away with one of the family's secret treasures."
Her eyes were completely twisted and broken.
She wasn't joking.
. . .
"Lady Siel , and Young Master Klein as well. Welcome."
Ancient magic circles and runes floated all throughout the hall.
It was a sight only possible in the royal castle of Felician, the kingdom known as the land of mages.
'Since the Empire hasn't approved it yet, they're not addressing her with the ducal title.'
While I thought that, the gatekeeper quietly opened the doors after confirming our identities.
"Regarding the mana circuit theory presented at this conference..."
"I was astonished by your presentation last time, Professor. An excellent proposal!"
"As for the bombardment magic commissioned by the Empire..."
The banquet hall was already overflowing with discussions about magical theories and academic topics.
It was completely different from the usual nobles who talked only of business and politics.
'This feels more like an academic symposium than a banquet.'
However, the moment Siel and I appeared, excitement spread through the previously calm gathering of mages.
"So that's Siel ?"
"Isn't she still not even twenty yet?"
The entire purpose of this banquet was, in the first place, to welcome Siel .
Naturally, she was the center of attention.
'Though this feels less like a welcome party and more like a probing match.'
Competitiveness. Awe. Suspicion.
The eyes of the mages watching Siel were tangled with all kinds of conflicting emotions.
"And the one with her is..."
"Young Master Klein."
Of course, Siel wasn't the only one attracting attention.
"A child of a ducal house practicing necromancy..."
"They say he can't even use mana, but for him to fall into such vile arts?"
"House Leinrant is finished. To acknowledge something like that as part of the family..."
'I can hear every word, you bookworm bastards.'
...Though the gazes directed toward me weren't particularly friendly.
— You're guests of a ducal house, yet the reception is rather cold.
'Naturally.'
Even as I answered Anghel's voice whispering from his spirit form, I didn't deny it.
'Since when have Felician mages ever liked necromancers?'
— True enough.
Mages.
And among them, the mages of the Mage Towers viewed necromancers as heretics.
The clergy of the Holy Order thought necromancers were evil.
The mages of the towers thought necromancers were beneath them.
[A second-rate alternative chosen by failures born without mana.]
[Parasites who couldn't even become spiritists and ended up feeding on corpses.]
That was the kind of nonsense they used to spout.
And in response, I crushed the head of Archmage Akan beneath my foot.
The existence known as the reincarnation of Archimond was probably extremely unpleasant to them.
'Since my goal is to gather information, attracting too much attention would actually be troublesome.'
I was speaking to Anghel, who remained in spirit form, when—
"Greetings, Duchess Siel !"
A booming voice called out to Siel .
Tall, handsome, and with blond hair swaying elegantly, a mage who looked to be in his twenties greeted her according to proper etiquette.
"And you are?"
"My name is Cheleg Ran."
The moment his name was spoken, the other mages attempting to approach Siel began whispering among themselves.
"Cheleg? As in the son of Tower Master Galond..."
"The genius who defeated an academy professor in a magic duel?"
A genius who reached Fifth Circle before the age of twenty.
The pride of the academy.
In short, an absurdly talented bastard.
"Is that so?"
Yet the only thing in Siel 's eyes as she received Cheleg's greeting was complete indifference.
"As a mage of the new generation, I've always wished to meet you. If you would permit it, perhaps we could share a meal after the banquet—"
As he continued speaking, Cheleg stepped closer to Siel .
Then—
Thud.
"Hm?"
Cheleg's shoulder bumped into mine, yet he didn't even glance in my direction.
'Heh, would you look at this?'
As though I were invisible, Cheleg spoke only toward Siel .
He was deliberately ignoring me in front of my own fiancée.
'I'm already busy enough, and now there's political bullshit here too?'
That was what I thought, but instead I simply smirked and stepped away from him.
'Do whatever you want.'
If I started complaining about him flirting with my fiancée, I'd only be the one losing out.
That reaction was probably exactly what he wanted.
Twitch.
But only for a moment.
At Cheleg's blatant disregard toward me, emotion finally appeared in Siel 's eyes for the very first time.
"...."
A smile unmoving like a mask.
Beneath it hid icy hostility.
And razor-sharp killing intent.
'Ah, fuck.'
The moment I saw strength enter the hands she had neatly folded together, I knew I couldn't stay still anymore.
Grab.
Calling out to Cheleg, I grabbed his shoulder.
He glanced sideways at me with irritation.
"Ah, my apologies, Young Master Klein."
A subtle sneer.
The filthy satisfaction of someone believing everything was going according to plan.
"A conversation between mages might be difficult for someone like you to underst—"
The moment he curled up the corners of his lips and tried to continue—
Crack—!
I immediately twisted his knee joint and forced him down onto the floor.
"Guhhk?!"
As was typical for mages unaccustomed to pain, his posture collapsed instantly.
Bam—!
I kicked up into his jaw and sent him sprawling, then slammed the sheath of my sword down against his throat.
"W-wait! What is the meaning of this—?!"
"So saying you didn't know is enough? If you shove someone's shoulder, you apologize first."
I spoke loudly enough for Siel to hear.
With the coldest voice I could manage, as though genuinely furious.
"How dare you ignore a Leinrant heir? Do you want to die?"
As I said that to the collapsed Cheleg, I checked Siel 's expression.
"Y-Young Master Klein!"
"What are you doing in the middle of a banquet hall?! Put your sword away at once—!"
"...!"
Among the shocked mages, I looked toward Siel , who was covering her mouth with both hands.
'Cheleg, was it?'
The smile hidden behind Siel 's hands.
Seeing that, I thought to myself—
'You bastard, you seriously owe me your life.'