The Empire’s largest magic research institute.
Commonly known to the public as the Magic Tower, this place was far more than just a tall and towering structure.
Beneath the huge tower lies a space beyond comprehension.
A place packed with nothing but madmen obsessed with researching magic, descending dozens of meters underground.
Among them, at the very lowest level, an oddly out-of-place garden has been created.
A ceiling impossibly high for something underground. A single slender pillar stretches up from below, supporting the entire space.
Structurally, the load placed on that pillar must reach hundreds of thousands of tons. For it to maintain its shape so sturdily in such a state is undoubtedly strange.
But considering the owner of this space, it’s not all that surprising.
– Heinel Shifter.
The Magic Tower’s genius mage.
Using her unique magical structures, the “super-enhancement” spell she created was capable of bending even the laws of physics with ease.
– You know the student named Adel? I heard he declined the seminar invitation this time.
“Hmm? Why?”
– He mentioned something related to the Bliss family. Said there were family circumstances that prevented him from attending.
“Bliss? That ruined house? He’s from there?”
She was speaking with a man whose image was being transmitted via projection. A plain-looking man with a smiling face.
– Have you ever met a member of the Bliss family?
“I met the former head. Probably the grandfather of that kid who was invited. I remember him as a greedy old man.”
– I see.
“Well, if even his own son was the third generation in a row to be magically disabled, then it’s no wonder. And I’ve heard the grandson is magic-disabled too… The Bliss family is finished.”
– The one invited this time is the direct heir of the Bliss family. It seems he’s overcome his magical disability.
Heinel set down her teacup and furrowed her brows. Her expression showed she’d just heard something unpleasant.
“Overcame a magical disability? Don’t be ridiculous. Even I’m struggling with that.”
– That’s true.
“At best, he probably used a subtle magical tool. Or else engraved runes directly onto his body.”
And indeed…
The magical tools Adel had used previously were derived from the byproducts of Heinel Shifter’s current research.
Heinel Shifter’s current research topic is precisely the condition known as “magic disability”.
For someone widely recognized as a genius to still be struggling with the issue, it’s only natural she’d think it couldn’t be solved so easily.
“Engraving, huh… That certainly is a method. Though I doubt a noble heir would resort to something like that.”
“You never know. Acts like that are kind of like alcohol. Once you start, you get drunk on it, and the guilt just fades away.”
The man in the projection gave a shrug.
“You must have been looking forward to it. What a shame.”
“Wha…! Who said anything about looking forward to it!!”
“I heard even the commander of the Special Forces Knights had mentioned it.”
“I was just curious, that’s all! Curious to see how a magically disabled person would turn out if they received proper training. Got it, Quinoron? If you’re going to talk nonsense, then get lost!”
Pop.
With an angry huff, Heinel ended the projection.
“……”
Since birth, she had devoted her life solely to magic.
Because of that, her ego was slightly skewed compared to common sense. She had extreme pride and was incapable of taking jokes lightly.
“……Haa.”
The only fortunate thing was that she herself was aware of how far removed she was from being “normal”.
“Bliss…”
A sigh escaped her lips a moment later. What came to mind then was the former head of the Bliss family she had met in her childhood.
Eyes that seemed almost insane. The obsessive tone in his speech. Despite being magically disabled, he still exuded an overwhelming presence.
“He didn’t… do something strange, did he? …Then again, he wouldn’t have sent his grandson to the academy if he had…”
It’s probably nothing.
Heinel rose from her seat.
It was time to return to her magical research.
Still… Adel Bliss, was it…
She forced herself to ignore the name that had begun to weigh on her mind and began to stir her massive flow of magical power once again.
***
“Hey, sister. Let’s go home together this weekend.”
“…You mean to the main house?”
“Yeah. It’s been a while since we’ve gone back, right?”
After class, I had sought out Camilla privately.
It was to suggest we go back to our family estate during the weekend leave.
It was a sudden decision, yes. But it couldn’t be helped.
And there wasn’t just one reason.
First, when I checked the participant list for the Magic Tower’s academic seminar, I saw the name “Heinel Shifter”.
One of the very few playable characters who can actually recognize the “wide-brimmed hat woman”. It’s too dangerous right now.
It’s too soon to meet her.
Given that people around me already believe I’ve overcome magical disability, if I draw her attention now, she’ll definitely start trying to dissect everything about me.
And rightly so. Her current research is on magical disabilities.
If a first-year academy student appears to have solved what she’s been struggling with, it’ll shake things up.
And worse, she might even discover that I’m using an unnatural power like the NP system…. something that shouldn’t exist.
That’s why I made up a reason to skip the seminar, saying I had family matters to attend to and would be returning home.
Nothing works better than family emergencies for getting out of events like this.
I had planned to visit the family estate sooner or later anyway, so the timing wasn’t bad.
The second reason came from information I uncovered while investigating “Koskov”.
The case that turned Mirage Oasis into a classified high-risk drug.
Through the connection I recently made with the “White Ship”, I learned that the investigator assigned to that case was none other than Austin Bliss.
Adel’s father… most likely. That means I can ask him directly.
And then….the biggest reason of all.
The final one.
***
“…Adel. The main house…”
At the mere mention of the “main house”, Camilla’s face clouded over. It was time to confront the feelings she’d been putting off.
“Why the main house? Is something wrong?”
“They probably don’t like me very much.”
“Well, you did say it was basically like running away.”
“…If you’re going there because you’re worried about me, you don’t need to.”
I hadn’t known this before, but I heard that Camilla’s entrance into the academy had been almost impulsive.
That’s also how she became close with Awen. Apparently, the father of Awen and Aaron, the Marquis Damir, recognized Camilla’s talent at a glance and offered to be her patron.
“Adel. I appreciate your concern. But I already have your support, and that’s enough for me… I don’t want to dwell on it.”
After school, in the dormitory.
Maybe it was because I called her out just as she was about to take a shower. Her hair was down, and she mumbled quietly. A rare show of vulnerability.
“……”
Suddenly, I found myself thinking. It’s a good thing she’s in the knight department.
If it were any other place, there’d probably be a line of guys circling the training grounds with a crush on her.
Actually… there probably are already plenty.
They’re just too overwhelmed by her unique presence to approach her.
And seeing her like this… she must see me as someone she can let her guard down around.
Which also means… if I handle this wrong, things could get awkward between us again.
No one likes being pushed into doing something they don’t want to.
Especially since Camilla carries a kind of trauma when it comes to the Bliss family. Just her enduring this conversation is probably already asking a lot…
“…Adel?”
“Ah. Sorry.”
“It’s fine. Are you tired?”
“No, it’s not that. But hey, if you really hate the idea, what about just coming with me? You don’t have to see anyone.”
“……”
“I just need to check on something. Please.”
Camilla hesitated for a long time. She avoided eye contact, looking like she was counting invisible pebbles on the floor.
“Sister?”
“…If that’s all it is, then okay.”
“Thanks… and it’ll be fine.”
“……”
Just thinking about it seems painful for her. Seeing her slightly off in her breathing, I wonder if I’ve been taking this too lightly.
I gave Camilla a shoulder massage for a while before heading back to the dorm.
Normally, she would’ve waved me off, saying she was fine. But it felt like her mind was completely consumed by family matters. She just sat there blankly, even when I gently patted her head. I felt a little guilty.
But it really will be okay.
Henry of the White Ship.
He came by to deliver the remaining reward, and I got confirmation directly from him.
If the auction house records are accurate, then she’s misunderstood something.
While I’m at it, I should pick up some magical books. Hopefully there’s something useful.
It was once considered a prestigious magical family, after all. There might be more to salvage than I thought.
Still… Koskov, huh.
No matter how I look at it, there’s definitely something going on here.
Why had someone from a crumbling noble house been assigned as the investigator of such a major case?
Why was Mirage Oasis being treated like a narcotic?
And why had the culprit of what was reported as the death of a single knight been labeled a “great sinner”?
There are too many strange things.
If that’s the case, then better to face it knowing, rather than get caught up in it blindly.
“……”
Back in my dorm room, I picked up a pen.
To fill out an overnight leave form.
And to write a letter to Adel’s father.
***
Time flew by, and before I knew it, the day I’d promised Camilla had arrived.
The weekend.
The end of a long weekday stretch. A time to cool down from the heat of a busy life.
It might even be our last moment of peace.
Starting next week, the Cross-Department Exchange trials would begin, and we’d be busy with selections, preparations, and more.
More importantly, it was also the point where the second scenario begins.
A dangerous phase.
The playable characters would start to stand out, getting tangled up with one another.
That meant the activities of demon worshippers would also ramp up.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the academy was targeted at any time.
Let’s stay as uninvolved as possible.
“You’re both requesting overnight leave. Reason: visiting the main house… Confirmed.
Please note that for overnight leave, summoning orbs will not be issued.
We wish you a safe journey.”
The front gate of Tane Academy.
We boarded the carriage as a maid saw us off.
Not one of the carriages bound for the city center, but one parked a little off to the side.
A high-end carriage prepared specifically for long-distance travel.
Naturally, it came at a steep price. But that was fine.
I still had plenty of money left from the auction earnings.
The issue was Camilla’s pride…
So I made sure she was distracted and quietly paid the gold coins.
“To the Bliss estate.”
“To the Bliss estate. Understood.”
Clatter—
The carriage slowly began to move.
***
Ten years ago.
Dozens of people stood, weighed down by concern.
The air in the convent was dry and heavy.
Those burdened with sin bowed their heads, unable to lift their gaze under the weight of guilt that had visited them the night before. Clasping their hands together, they muttered to themselves.
They had come seeking to confess to God and be forgiven.
This convent, in particular, was a place where the lowest and most wretched of society gathered.
As if to prove that fact, every believer present looked equally gaunt and lifeless.
Even the nuns weren’t immune to the thick atmosphere and the suffocating stench of sin that clung to the air. Though they maintained a posture of constant purity, they were still human…. susceptible to the negativity that seeped from other humans.
“Next believer, please enter the confessional booth.”
At the sound, a young child waiting with her father looked up at him for reassurance.
The young man, with deep indigo hair, bit his lower lip and looked down at her as she tugged on him.
“Papa… they said it’s your turn.”
“…Just wait a little longer.”
The girl opened her mouth, as if about to say something, but hesitated. In the end, the words never came.
She had tried many times before, but her father’s expression never changed.
He looked like someone who had come to make a difficult decision. One of the few emotions her young eyes could recognize.
Left alone for a moment, the girl looked around, unsure of what to do.
A strange presence caught her attention. She turned around and someone was standing there calmly, as if they had always been.
Their clothing didn’t suit the place at all.
This was a place where dark tones were silently expected. Even among such attire, the man stood out.
His black uniform and cap were so dark it felt as if the light itself was being swallowed. The stark white tie pierced the eyes like a blade. His face was obscured by shadow, but there was something…something like a smile lingering on his lips.
The man began walking toward the confessional booth.
No one stopped him.
Even the child could sense how strange that was, and she simply watched him in silence.
Then their eyes met and what happened next was surreal.
As the man passed by with a slight smile, the nuns stepped aside for him.
As if they weren’t even aware they were doing it.
Everyone was seated in the chapel, waiting.
The man walked through the silence, clearly standing out….and yet, no one looked at him.
Creak—
The confessional booth door opened, and inside, the girl saw her father.
Was he someone her dad knew?
That thought lasted only a moment.
Because after the door closed, the girl never saw the man again.
.
.
.
That was it.
“───!!!”
Sasha Koskov awoke from the dream.
Her heart felt like it was about to burst. Her body was soaked in sweat.
Thump, thump……
When she looked around, the place was familiar.
The Sirain Dormitory. One of the women’s dorms at Tane Academy.
“……”
Even though it was still the height of spring, the room felt warm. It was because of Sasha’s body heat.
She slowly got up and sat down on the chair. The sweat that hadn’t fully dried yet felt unpleasant against her skin as emotions surged, so she stripped off all her clothes.
Now naked, she reached back out of habit and touched the scar on her back.
“……I’m not that man’s daughter.”
She murmured it aloud, as if making a declaration… to herself.
With the curtains drawn, not a single ray of sunlight entered the room, leaving it sunk in deep stillness.
“……I’m not.”
The scar couldn’t sweat. Feeling that sensation vividly, she pulled her knees to her chest.
It was all a lie.
……The chair stuck to her bare skin.
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