“Mashiro, wake up. We’re here.”
I poked the cheek of the comfortably-sleeping Mashiro.
A mochi-soft, plump cheek perfect for poking.
“Mn, mnn…… five more minutes……”
“That’s a line for the morning. It’s already night out.”
“Eh!? L-late, ow!?”
Misunderstanding, Mashiro shot up and slammed her head into the carriage ceiling.
The dull gotsun sound silenced the air for an instant, then was filled with laughter.
“Fufu, Mashiro. No need to panic, there are no classes.”
“You were sleeping deep enough to forget this morning’s events.”
“H-huh!? Why are you two in the same classroom…… O-Ouga? What’s going on……?”
“This, sleeping beauty.”
I took the still-half-asleep Mashiro’s hand and led her out of the carriage.
“Eh, the mansion…… ah, ahh! That’s right!”
Looking at the scene that spread before us, Mashiro remembered what she’d been doing.
“It’s been a while for me too — Ouga’s home.”
Karen gazed at the manor before us with reverence.
A vast white-themed structure, with proper history reaching back to the founding of the kingdom.
The HQ of House Veret — said to act as the King’s right hand behind the political scenes. Also my home.
“M-many times more amazing than I imagined……”
“Come on, no point standing here, let’s go in.”
“M-mn, right……”
When I said it, Alice came swiftly and opened the doors.
What awaited beyond made Mashiro freeze again.
A glittering chandelier hanging from the ceiling.
Portraits of successive House Veret heads on the walls.
A grand staircase spreading left and right from the center.
A red carpet stretching from the entrance to the stairs.
And on both sides, rows of maids and butlers.
"""Welcome home, Lord Ouga. Lady Reina."""
The pristine, perfectly synchronized greeting and bow is overwhelming no matter how many times you see it.
A feat possible only because every one of them serves House Veret with pride.
“Good work. Long time, everyone.”
“Fufu, to be welcomed the same as a newcomer like me — thank you.”
”…………”
“Heh heh heh…… Mashiro. You can’t stay frozen forever.”
”…… Right! C-come on, this is shocking! I’m a commoner!”
“This becomes normal for a while. Watching Mashiro be stunned every time would be amusing.”
“Muu~”
Mashiro lightly batted my chest.
A commoner hits a noble. A commoner uses casual speech with a noble.
Servants from other houses might be agitated, but ours don’t show a hint of concern.
It’s not that they look down on the magicless me — it’s that they understand House Veret’s direction.
We value excellent personnel and don’t care about status.
Maids and butlers typically come from third-or-later sons of other houses, or women past marriageable age, employed to create connections.
But House Veret has many commoner-born servants.
Of course noble-born exist too, but petty faction strife is absent.
”…… Right. Can’t gather here forever.”
When I clapped my hands, all of them looked up.
“Follow Alice and bring the luggage to each room. After that, some of you guide the two on a tour of the manor.”
"""Understood."""
Instructions given, they moved briskly. Two maids came near to wait.
“Reina and I will go greet Father. The two of you, follow these maids on a manor tour for now.”
“Eh, eh? I’m not sure if my manners are good enough?”
“Don’t be stiff, relax. And Karen is with you, so no worries.”
“That’s right, Mashiro. ……If anything, I might be more nervous.”
True, that’s reasonable.
For those who don’t know the details, Karen broke our engagement and then re-engaged with me — unprecedented.
But the longtime servants know Karen’s nature, and Head Maid Morina will surely back her up.
I massaged her tense shoulders to relax her.
“The servants of House Veret won’t think what you’re imagining. They won’t soil their own pride.”
A glance at the waiting maids — they bowed.
Mashiro and Karen exhaled in relief, tension a little eased.
“There’s not much to do today besides dinner and bath. After the tour, rest in your rooms.”
“Mn, got it!”
“Ouga, Reina — don’t mind us, go talk.”
“Thanks. See you later.”
Separating, Reina and I headed to the office where Father would be.
”…… Reina, are you really all right? If recalling this is hard, you can step out.”
She’d been continuously interviewed about the incident.
That means digging up Reina’s Floné-trauma.
She’s good at wearing masks, so I worried she was pushing through……
“Thank you, Ouga-kun. But I’m fine. I want to be useful, even a little. So that no more victims like me appear.”
Her resolve was solid.
Her eyes — not lifeless as before — clearly conveyed her own will.
Pressing further would be tactless.
“And…… in case of anything, you’ll protect me by my side, right?”
“Of course. I worked so hard to get you, Reina. There’s no way I’m giving you to anyone.”
”…… I want to stay forever, by your side, Ouga-kun……”
Reina gently linked her arm and pressed close.
The warmth shared between us was comforting.
…… This is what I want, this!
That hard work paid off.
Reina freed from Floné, happy. Me, cuddled by a cute girl, happy.
A perfect win-win.
Feeling Reina’s warmth, I walked toward the office.
After a few knocks, I heard the okay, and entered.
“Sorry to keep you, Father. Ouga Veret, Reina Veret — returning from the magic academy.”
“Good work, both of you. Hoh…… close as can be, aren’t you?”
“Yes. Precious family, Father.”
“Hahaha. Reina is fully a member of House Veret now, splendid. The trip must have tired you. Sit.”
Encouraged, we sat side-by-side on the guest sofa.
He took chilled fruit juice from the mana-energy refrigerator and poured glasses.
Veret territory has many items leveraging my past-life knowledge.
The fridge, too — and fruit juice, which I’d petitioned to Father myself.
Fruit juice is loved from nobles to commoners; now a signature product of Veret territory.
At reincarnation, sweet variety was poor…… by spreading menus, it’s now everywhere.
“Thank you.”
I drained the glass with thanks.
A faint sweetness soaked my parched throat.
“Mashiro-kun and Karen-kun are here too, right. I’d have liked to greet them properly……”
“Have plans?”
“Yes, I need to leave soon. So we’ll finish all needed talk here.”
“I see. A shame.”
”…… Should I cancel?”
“Father. Please don’t abandon the country-protecting work.”
I stopped him from doting and went straight to the topic.
“So…… is Floné’s location known?”
“No. The candidates Reina listed were all empty. I’m sorry, Reina, for wasting your information.”
“No, Father. Once I came to Ouga-kun, this was foreseeable.”
“And the nobles supporting Floné — what about them?”
“That’s what I wanted to discuss. As Reina said…… most nobles dealing with Floné had lost memory of Floné.”
“As I suspected……”
A large group of people simultaneously forgetting a specific person.
Even in this magical world, that’s impossible.
In all the documents I’d pored over, no magic that touches the mind exists.
…… Among the elements we know, that is.
”…… Which means——”
It’s hard to believe, but Father nodded slowly.
“Floné Milfonti uses dark-element magic. She, too, is a multi-element holder.”
The forbidden, erased-from-history — dark-element magic.
Touching the realm of souls, it’s the only element banned worldwide from transmission to protect human dignity.
I only know what Father has told me.
Even though I’ve read magic literature day and night since childhood.
“Without Reina’s information, we wouldn’t have known. Sending forces blindly could have been catastrophic. Genuinely grateful for the intel.”
The fact that Reina had witnessed Floné using unknown magic to brainwash people was the key.
Reina’s testimony. Reality’s inexplicable mysteries.
From these, the country judged Floné uses dark-element magic.
“This also explains her targeting Mashiro.”
She’d been searching forever.
A young body (vessel) that could endure her mana and had multiple magic aptitudes.
But — that aside, a new doubt arises.
Why didn’t she just hit Mashiro with dark-element magic at enrollment?
If I were Floné, I’d build the world’s strongest harem-kingdom using dark magic.
But she didn’t. There must be conditions for its use.
…… Tch, frustrating. Too little information at hand.
”…… Father. Can I learn about dark-element magic somehow?”
“Heh, my son would say that.”
Father smiled and placed a piece of paper on the table.
It granted viewing rights for the [Underground Forbidden Library of Magic].
Below it, my name and Reina’s name were listed.
“Underground Forbidden Library of Magic……?”
“I don’t remember hearing about it.”
“Hahaha. Of course. Its existence is known only to a handful the King trusts. Even the four ducal houses. You know why?”
”…… Because dark-element magic resources are stored there too?”
Father nodded satisfied.
“W-wait! Granting rights means——”
“Yes, Ouga. The King is counting on you. That Ouga Veret is the one who’ll defeat [Floné the Lightning Strike] and become the world-saving [Saint].”
——ABSOLUTELY NOT!!
…… If I could have shouted that, how easy.
Reacting surprised at the sudden development, internally I was panicking.
How did it end up here!?
Who’d imagine the King engineering an Ouga-vs-Floné composition.
I’m just a student, my ability hasn’t even surpassed Alice’s!
There’s no way I can fight Floné when Alice couldn’t……!
And what is [Saint]!?
If I’m called that, I can’t do my muhuhu things easily!
Country trouble means I’d have to head out immediately, tied down, with vastly less free time.
What have I trained my magic and martial skills for!
All for living the comfortable lord life doing whatever I want.
That ideal is crumbling.
“To receive such trust from the King…… truly amazing, Ouga-kun. Family to be proud of.”
“Heh heh heh…… don’t praise me, Reina.”
While Reina stroked my head, I composed my outward attitude.
Calm down, calm down, Ouga Veret.
Use the genius brain.
A pinch is a chance. Reverse it.
…… Right. The King wants me to learn dark magic to fight Floné.
Then use that to my advantage.
I’ll study dark-element magic properly and become the one using dark magic.
Brainwash humanity, grow the harem unlimitedly……! Labor force whenever I want!
True, I lack magical aptitude.
But this element is so unknown — for the one-in-a-million chance, I can’t give up without trying.
Heh heh heh…… getting fun.
…… Not escapism. Not escapism……!!