Since that day, the Oracle had indeed been staring blankly into the distance more often, but no real problems had arisen.
Tillis was surprisingly focused on her studies and hadn’t tried any other tricks.
That was probably because I had been looking after Olly and Raven so they wouldn’t wear themselves out.
Well, I guess I solved another problem.
If there was one small change in my daily life…
“Mr. Johan, did you know?”
“Ah, yes. Please, go ahead.”
…it was that Tillis kept preaching strange bits of knowledge to me.
Why me, though? Was she still holding a grudge over that jab I made earlier?
“The bluebird is nearby!”
“I see. Where is it?”
“Huh?”
Tillis looked around, tilting her head.
“It’s not here?”
“Apparently not.”
“That’s strange. Could the book be wrong?”
She muttered this while holding a complete set of children’s fairy tales.
“I should track down whoever wrote this book and kill them.”
“They’re probably already dead.”
“What?!”
Her personality was nothing short of extreme.
With a pure smile, she declared her intent to kill someone. Such a strange dissonance.
Perhaps the term pure evil exists just for her.
“The bluebird is a metaphor for happiness. It means happiness isn’t something you should look for far away; it’s close by.”
“And why is that?”
“Well… maybe because the one who feels happiness is you yourself?”
“Hmmm…”
Tillis tilted her head in thought. Maybe that explanation was too difficult for her level of understanding.
“I don’t really get it.”
“I figured as much.”
“Still, if the book is right, then there should be a bluebird near me too, right?”
“I suppose it depends on how you look at it. What do you think, Saintess?”
“I’m not really sure either.”
Tillis stared down at the book, then muttered offhandedly,
“Still… it would be nice if there was one.”
“……”
“I hope it’s just that I don’t realize it yet.”
She flashed me a bashful smile.
Honestly, I was taken aback by it.
Tillis usually wore a smile when dealing with people, but this one felt different.
The smile I had always thought was fake and creepy somehow felt genuine this time.
Maybe that’s why—
“I suppose so. That would be nice.”
—I ended up giving her a comparatively sincere answer of my own.
***
Two weeks passed after that.
Tillis announced that she had finished her period of exchange at the Cradle and would be returning to her original residence.
“Everyone, thank you for everything during my stay.”
What exactly had she learned here?
From what I saw, she had only dabbled in shallow and narrow bits of knowledge.
And once she was tired of that, she mostly spent her time reading fairy tales and novels.
She had started her studies with lofty ambitions, but it wasn’t long before she was distracted by other things.
In that sense, she didn’t seem much different from an ordinary person.
“Well… things will be quieter now.”
Not that she made the place particularly noisy, but I had always been on edge keeping an eye on her.
“That’s true.”
The Oracle who was suddenly standing beside me mumbled with half-closed eyes.
At least I wouldn’t have to see that infuriating face as often anymore.
It was only because the person in question was Tillis that things turned out this way. If it were someone else, it wouldn’t have been the same.
The Great Sage, for example, had neither the reason nor the means to set foot in the Cradle in the first place.
If the Great Warrior came here, I wouldn’t really need to worry about it.
The Scriptwriter? I don’t even know what he looks like. What could I possibly do about him?
“I’ll be away for a while myself. There’s something I need to look into.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Well… that’s true. I guess it’s because you’re the only one I can speak openly with.”
“That’s awful.”
“Isn’t it, though?”
With that, the Oracle pulled up her hood and left the Cradle.
Now that she was actually leaving, it felt both refreshing and a little bittersweet.
But mostly, I was glad.
It meant peace was finally returning to this dreadful Cradle.
At last, I could focus solely on research and study.
“Still…”
I glanced around at my suddenly quiet surroundings.
Had the absence of Oracle and Tillis really left such a void?
No…honestly, not really.
The emptiness I was feeling wasn’t because of those two.
“Where’s that brat wandered off to now?”
It came from Yuna’s absence. She was usually glued to my side.
“This is making me uneasy…”
Whenever Yuna wasn’t around, trouble tended to follow.
Well, to be fair, trouble happened even when she was around,
But when she wasn’t, she somehow brought trouble back with her.
Just the other day she had been wandering the Cradle early in the morning.
And I still had no idea what she’d been up to lately.
I could only hope it was nothing serious.
Please, not another disaster like Charybdis.
***
While Johan was, knowingly or not, worrying about her,
Yuna was in the middle of savoring her moment of freedom.
“Puhihihihi!”
The time spent with Tillis had been long and painful.
During every class-related hour, except for short breaks, she had to guide Tillis and it had drained her at every moment.
But now, that was over.
The suffering had been long, but the taste of relief was sweet.
Yuna went straight to the Headmistress’s office to speak to Olga Hermod.
“Mom.”
“….I’m suffocating.”
There was a limit to shamelessness.
On the day Tillis left, Olga Hermod felt goosebumps run over her entire body at the sight of Yuna barging in and calling her “Mom” without a shred of hesitation.
“You’re something else. To use such a horrifying trick that it makes even an illusionist want to turn away from reality…”
“But you’ll get used to it, Mom.”
“Urgh…”
Pain.
Olga Hermod knew she couldn’t win against this brazen yet cute girl.
They had even… well, not just made a promise, but signed a contract, so it was far too late to go back now.
“Haa… I don’t even know what kind of mess I’ve gotten myself into in my later years. I thought I’d seen it all, but every time I talk to you, I’m reminded the world is still full of surprises.”
“Puhihihihi!”
Olga Hermod sighed as she looked at Yuna, who was laughing without a care in the world.
At the same time, she wondered what on earth she was doing, dealing with a child like this.
But a contract was a contract.
“The paperwork is ready. From today on, you are Yuna Hermod.”
“Oh!”
Yuna accepted the papers Olga handed her as if they were a priceless treasure.
Olga Hermod couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle when she saw Yuna’s eyes sparkle like starlight as she took the papers.
Being called “Mom” or having her throw little tantrums still felt awkward and uncomfortable, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.
“First, keep this in mind. A noble’s position comes with responsibilities as well as rights.”
“Yes, Mom.”
“Haa…”
She knew that already, but it was still a situation that could only draw a sigh.
Then, shaking her head, Olga Hermod warned Yuna in a serious tone.
“And you should understand what it means to become my daughter.”
“What does it mean?”
“It means being the daughter of an archmage under the Emperor’s close watch and the official heir to the Magic Tower.”
“Ohh!”
“Do you understand? It means you will be under constant suspicion. And even though the Magic Tower is my property, whether they acknowledge you is another matter entirely.”
“Then we just have to make it so they can’t help but acknowledge me, right?”
“Confidence suits you.”
Olga Hermod stood up, watching the delighted Yuna.
“Now, come with me. There are a few places we need to go.”
“Eh? Where are we going?”
“We have to make your existence public, don’t we?”
“Mhmm…”
“Is there a problem?”
“Can’t we put off making it public for now? I don’t want Johan to find out I’ve become a noble just yet.”
“Hmm? You were so eager to become a noble, and now you’re telling me you’re afraid?”
Olga Hermod found it distasteful, yet understandable.
There’s a difference between saying something and actually facing it—
Like a fresh recruit boasting they’ll be fine, only to freeze up when they’re actually standing on the battlefield for the first time.
Fear.
That was why it was frightening. Because no one knew when it might come.
“That’s not it. I just wanted to keep it a secret for a little while.”
“Who do you think issued those papers for you? The Emperor already knows you’ve become my daughter.”
“Oh! I didn’t mean to keep it completely secret. Just from the people around me. Can’t we do that?”
“Hmm…?”
It wasn’t such a difficult request.
The people who needed to be told were already decided; it was only a matter of keeping their mouths shut.
From an outsider’s perspective, her taking in an adopted daughter was far more likely to be seen as a political move.
She had been prepared to endure that as well, but delaying the public announcement would change the situation.
Abraham and a few others already knew about the existence of her adopted daughter, so it didn’t matter to them.
By delaying the announcement under such circumstances, it would seem as though Olga Hermod were deliberately keeping her adopted daughter free from political entanglements.
There was nothing about that outcome that would be bad for her.
However…
“Are you perhaps worried that, now that your position has changed, the way people around you look at you will change as well?”
At that moment, she was simply curious about why Yuna would make such a choice.
Without realizing it, she was already thinking like a parent.
“If it’s because you’re not mentally prepared for that yet…”
“Oh, it’s not that.”
But when Yuna shook her head firmly, Olga Hermod blinked in surprise.
“Because I’m not a noble, I can’t aim for the position of the legal wife…”
“…What?”
It was something they had spoken about before—
Yuna’s reason for wanting to become a noble.
But what did it mean for her to bring it up again in a moment like this?
“I’m still planning to feed off the sense of debt that creates for a while.”
“Uh…”
Olga Hermod realized it then.
Yuna was far more cunning than she had imagined.
What she had just said meant that she was pretending to lament her circumstances in order to draw out even more goodwill.
It was a firm declaration that she had no intention of stepping down from her advantageous position anytime soon.
“Huh…”
In the end, the title of nobility was a card she intended to keep hidden for her ultimate goal.
She wasn’t even a noble yet, but she was already using methods more underhanded than those of the nobility.
“Well, do as you please…”
Olga Hermod shook her head as if exhausted.
“How did I end up taking in someone like this as a daughter…?”
“Puhihihi!”
***
Olga Hermod and Yuna headed straight for the Magic Tower.
Although Olga still intended to keep Yuna’s adoption a secret, she believed Yuna needed to grow familiar with the Tower in advance.
Strictly speaking, the Magic Tower could be considered part of Olga Hermod’s household.
For that reason, she thought it best to establish good relations there ahead of time for the future.
Of course, there was something she had to check first.
“Since we’ve decided to hide the fact of your adoption, I plan to introduce you as my disciple for now. Aside from Wave, how much magic can you use? Without showing at least some level of magical proficiency, it’ll be hard to avoid resentment.”
“Hmm… let’s see? I guess it depends on the situation? But basically, the only magic I know is Wave.”
“You’ve got a long way to go, then. I suppose I’d better drop the idea of introducing you as my disciple.”
“Oh, that’s fine. Actually, it’d be better if you did introduce me as your disciple.”
“…What?”
Olga Hermod tilted her head at Yuna’s oddly overflowing confidence.
There was something there. Come to think of it, her earlier answer had been strange as well.
It depends on the situation? What kind of absurd nonsense was that supposed to mean?
“You—”
Then, suddenly, Olga Hermod realized something.
Yuna possessed power so great that, even by objective standards, it wouldn’t be strange to call her a monster.
She was, after all, the girl who had claimed the title of the world’s greatest assassin.
Her physical abilities were already among the highest for someone her age, and her skill went without saying.
She might only be able to use Wave, but considering the difficulty of that spell, she clearly had some degree of talent.
Even just listing her qualities like this was ridiculous. But precisely because of that, it was easy to overlook one thing.
In this world, there was one more measure.
“…Have you awakened an ability?”
That there was such a thing as a scale for talent.
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