“Can’t we just destroy the heart?”
The genius mage of Magic Tower.
The master of the 53rd basement floor of the tower, Heinel Shifter.
At her words, I stopped tying my necktie.
“What a disturbing thing to say, Lady Heinel.”
“No, seriously. It has to be the heart. That’s the only explanation for why the magic-nullification trait activates.”
“Did you not get enough sleep? Surely you’re not planning to stab someone just because of that, right?”
Heinel ran her already messy hair through her fingers, making it even worse.
Her tired face was marked by dark circles, and the witch’s hat she usually wore for naps was so crumpled it looked more like a fedora now.
“It just doesn’t make sense. No matter what you do, the magical energy won’t leave the body. How is that any different from a rotten noble’s brat who grows up harassing maids at home?”
“That’s a bit harsh. Even those people might have their reasons, don’t you think?”
A “magic disabled” who received formal magical education.
Even with someone like me who was essentially a dream assistant for any researcher at her side, Heinel seemed to be incredibly stressed from not being able to find the answer.
“…Can you cut it out with the proper butler talk? It’s annoying. You sound like you’re about to start nagging me.”
“Ah. Force of habit, I’m afraid.”
I shrugged. Commuting to Tane lately had really made the tone stick.
“Anyway, it’s still just a theory, but I really think it’s the heart. Look…this is the graph I made by measuring your magical frequency…”
“Last time, didn’t you say standing on my head might cure it? And now it’s the heart?”
For some reason, I was starting to question the very concept of “genius”.
Being magic disabled is caused by the heart? That’s not something you’d expect from someone supposedly on the cutting edge of magical science.
The actual answer was that it was just a unique magical frequency. A natural trait, like Sally’s “Innocent Purity”.
Knowing the conclusion Heinel would eventually reach in the original story, I couldn’t help but be unimpressed by her current theory.
“No, listen. The incapacity to use magic exists, right? I’m sure it’s the body adapting in order to survive. Like, trying to conserve the innate magic humans are born with…”
“Okay, let’s stop with the superstition and get you a nap. Come on, it’s already late.”
“…Don’t we usually say it’s late at night?”
“I see. Since it’s night for you, Lady Heinel, let’s go with ‘it’s late’ then.”
“…Your tone is getting cocky… No way I can sleep like this. I still haven’t figured out the answer.”
Heinel let out a huge yawn and rubbed her eyes. The way her eyelids fluttered open and then slackened again made it instantly clear just how exhausted she was.
Then, her lips curved slightly. I’d seen that expression before…it meant she’d just come up with some mischievous idea.
“Alright then, lab assistant. Come over here and put me to sleep.”
“……”
“Be my comfort doll for the night. How about it? You’re technically dead to the outside world, anyway…”
Still seated in her rocking chair, Heinel stretched both arms toward me.
When she’s this tired, she sometimes acts like this. She’s five years older than me, and she probably treats me like a younger brother because of it.
I simply looked at the clock.
I was fully dressed and ready for work. I didn’t want to get my clothes messed up rubbing against someone who hadn’t even washed.
“Once you wake up, I’ll tell you something interesting.”
“Hmm…? Like what?”
Snap!
I flicked my fingers.
In that instant, the lights of the Tower’s underground floors all went out at once.
Fwoosh—!
“……?”
She blinked in confusion, tilting her head.
A reaction that said she had just witnessed something she didn’t understand.
And it was understandable.
After all, only one person was registered with access to modify this environment whether it was temperature, lighting, or anything else….and that was Heinel.
Yet I, who was clearly unregistered, had just turned off the lights at will.
And I hadn’t even used magical frequency signals, which were the required method.
◆ [Total Magical Structural Analysis] activated.
“Well then, have a pleasant night.”
Leaving her staring blankly in my direction, I stepped into the magic elevator.
– Registered user: Heinel 2. Please state your desired floor.
“Tower lobby.”
– Confirmed.
“Hey, hey──!!! Wait!! Get back here!!!”
Ignoring her shouting from somewhere behind me, I gave my outfit one last check.
Not bad.
The reason I was paying more attention than usual today was simple.
It was the day of an important meeting.
The other party? None other than the heir of the family that ruled over Harun City.
The man I had managed to arrange a meeting with through head maid Ellis.
Menenem Harunsdel, eldest son of the Harunsdel family.
***
A place where several huge, pillar-shaped structures stood tall.
This was the main gate of Tane Academy, one of the Empire’s three most prestigious schools.
On the left pillar was the emblem of the Magic Department, and on the right, the emblem of the Knight Department.
At the very top of each pillar, a phrase inscribed the motto of its respective department.
“My honor lies in the truth.”
The motto of the Magic Department.
“……”
I shrugged as I looked up at those words. Seeing something about “honor” made me feel a little guilty about what I was about to do.
But for someone like me, with a modern mindset, concepts like honor don’t really strike a chord.
The same goes for truth.
As I was thinking that, someone called out to me.
“Oh! Mr. Butler is here!”
“Good morning. Did you sleep well, Mr. Butler?”
“My, you’ve arrived?”
They were maids stationed at the front gate, in charge of recording visitors’ names.
Their reactions weren’t in vain. I had spent the past few days working to build rapport.
Thanks to my efforts in helping them relax, the atmosphere had shifted to one where a bit of slacking off was tolerated….as long as it was under my supervision.
In this overall laid-back atmosphere, no one minded a little slacking. And where there’s no attention, there’s freedom.
In other words, I could slack off too.
“…She said to meet at the Knight Department.”
That was the meeting place given to me by Head Maid Ellis.
At this time of year in the knight department… they must be preparing for finals by now.
Before I knew it, the season had changed. The blooming flowers had all fallen, and the greenery was growing thick.
It was that time of year when no matter where you went, be it the sports field or the training grounds, you’d see knight students deep in training.
He must be there under the pretense of scouting talent.
I clicked my tongue softly and began to walk.
***
“Is Menenem not here yet?”
The Knight Department.
Only the elite among those who wielded swords could belong to this place.
From simple guard duties to countering explosive magic, anti-terrorism, breakthrough operations, subjugation of magical beasts, and all kinds of situational responses—
The skills required of knights were incredibly diverse, and so Tane Academy had even structured official courses around all of them to properly train its students.
In front of the main building of the Knight Department.
What was taking place in the spacious training ground was a lesson on “breakthrough” tactics.
“Sword Run, huh.”
I murmured as I looked at the class being conducted in formation.
Sword Run.
A race where one must overcome numerous obstacles while wielding a single sword to reach the destination.
The participant who passes through the course the fastest and most gracefully receives the highest score.
It was a fairly enjoyable feature even in the game, and I remember gamers used to brag about their completion times for this evaluation.
“──!!”
“──ra─!!!”
It was then.
I focused my gaze on a distant, faintly familiar voice I could hear from afar.
Amidst the crowd’s cheers, a tall elegant beauty stepped forward.
Silver ponytail. Blue eyes. Cold, sharp gaze contrasting with her striking features. Composed posture.
She stood at the starting point of the obstacle course.
Camilla?
What a coincidence.
The class unfolding before my eyes just so happened to be that of 2nd Year Class A, the one Camilla belonged to.
…No. Maybe it’s not a coincidence. Was I called here specifically to see Class A’s lesson?
Personally, I didn’t mind.
It had been quite a while since I’d last seen Camilla’s face, so even like this, getting to see her brought a quiet joy.
There was still no sign of Menenem Harunsdel.
I subtly turned my vision to detect mana waves and focused my gaze on Camilla.
Boom!
At that moment, the starting signal for “Sword Run” echoed out.
With the explosive sound, Camilla drew her sword and shot forward.
Oh.
She wasn’t just running…it was more like she had been launched.
In the blink of an eye, she reached the first obstacle.
A course filled with numerous spinning targets that must all be cut down to pass through!
If your form isn’t precise, the blade won’t slice. It’ll just bounce off. For Camilla, who’s never properly learned swordsmanship, this might be tough…
However, with just two strikes.
She sliced through every obstacle cleanly!
Whoa!
And in the very next moment, Camilla spun her body.
An arrow fired from afar, aimed directly at her, was cleanly evaded.
Without missing a beat, she rushed into the second course.
The second challenge consisted of obstacles arranged in the following order: a stone pillar, firewood, and a dummy.
The intent was clear.
The stone and firewood are meant to dull the blade, and the last is a cotton-stuffed dummy that’s hard to cut through…!
It was a course designed to consume a great deal of time.
Even cutting through the stone pillar alone would take time… and then to face a cotton dummy?
The proper way is to stop and focus! If she rushes in, she’ll only—
Just as I fixed my eyes on her, silently cheering her on—
Suddenly, Camilla leapt.
Her body soared into the air.
No way?
She stomped hard on the stone pillar and leapt even higher.
The moment her silver hair sparkled in the sunlight from the sky—
Creaaaaaaaaaak—!!!
Spinning through the air multiple times, she sliced the stone pillar vertically in half!
“Insane!”
A gasp slipped out at the sheer beauty of her movement.
“Wha—!!!”
Even from afar, the cheers of the crowd burst out. It must’ve been quite the performance.
Camilla…
I didn’t hold back my applause.
What surprised me wasn’t just her method of clearing the course.
It’s a technique I discovered myself after playing it hundreds of times. Did she just pull it off instinctively?
An incredible talent.
As expected of one of the strongest playable characters, Camilla Bliss.
She didn’t stop and moved on to chop through the firewood.
And finally, the cotton-stuffed dummy.
She plunged her sword deep into it, twisted it, and yanked it out, making it explode in an instant!
How can someone that beautiful be this good…
What followed was just as seamless.
She crushed the obstacles threatening her ankles underfoot and even deflected a barrage of mana arrows that rained down at a perfectly timed moment.
Chaeng—!
The highlight was when she faced five magic dolls, all armed.
She deflected every incoming strike with a single motion. And in the next moment, the dolls’ heads all dropped to the floor.
She even shattered the shield-type magic blocking the path ahead in one blow.
And to finish, she scaled the tall wall and thrust her sword into the final mark.
At that speed, she’s definitely taking first place.
“──!!!”
“Camilla….! As expected……!”
Just as I thought.
The professor, the assistant, and even the other students watching the evaluation all stood and applauded.
From what I could hear, it was nothing but praise.
Camilla bowed her head slightly and quietly returned to the line.
Somehow, I found myself smiling too, caught up in the moment.
And right then—
“Do you like her?”
It was an unpleasant voice, muttering like a curse.
“If that’s the case, then it’s a shame. Be it money or power… Camilla Bliss is a woman who can’t be won over by any means.”
“……”
When I turned my head, there stood a hunched man with a sinister expression.
“I hear she’s aiming to become a knight of the Imperial Guard. Which means she has no interest in money.”
Etched on his shoulder was the emblem of “Chains and Graphs”.
It signified he belonged to Tane’s Department of Commerce.
Menehmen Harunsdel slowly sank down onto the stairs.
“She’s a Bliss by adoption, so her ties to her parents aren’t strong. The only one she truly cherished, her younger brother Adel Bliss, died recently. So you can’t even approach her through family. Her views on romance are conservative, too. Most male students find her hard to approach.”
At that point, Menehmen, for some reason, pointed his cane at me.
“You. You said you wanted to join Harunsdel. That you wanted to become a secretary at headquarters.”
“Yes.”
“Then how about giving it a try?”
“Try what, exactly?”
“What a secretary needs is the power to change someone’s heart. You’d be assisting the direct line of Harunsdel, after all. A test like this seems fitting.”
I politely pushed his cane away and smiled.
“You’re suggesting I form a friendly relationship with Camilla Bliss?”
“Hmph. It’d be ideal if it turned romantic… but there’s no way some no-name butler like you could pull that off.”
“……”
“But sometimes, it’s not the message itself but the image of the messenger that changes how people react. You’ve got a decent face, at least….so just being on good terms would be enough.”
“And if I do that, you’ll hire me?”
“Yes. I’ll hire you, no problem. Being able to soften up that icy woman is proof of talent in itself.”
Curious how far he’d go, I asked,
“Are you hiring a secretary, or looking for a boy toy?”
To that, Menehmen gave a laugh,
“Maybe save lines like that for after you’ve accomplished something.”
Disgusting bastard.
Still, I didn’t let it show.
I simply smiled and nodded.
“As long as the money’s right, I’ll do it.”
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