Chapter 222

Chapter 222 - Disposal

Tolan ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍had become extremely anxious. It was because of the news he had just heard from Josephine.

“Th-The ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Wisdom Delegation left?”

“Did ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍you not hear what I said earlier? I told you they were completely pushed back by our Dante and left without being able to do anything.”

Josephine ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍laughed loudly as she mocked them. On the other hand, Tolan’s face turned ashen. Akiell looked at that as though he found it strange instead.

“Did ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍you think they would even try to negotiate just to save a mediocre mage like you?”

Akiell ‍​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍no longer referred to the family as his own. He did not speak of it with respect either, and treated them coldly as strangers.

It was a small change even he himself had not noticed, but to Josephine, it was the moment he became more familiar.

“Exactly! You have nothing to put forward except the fact that you are a collateral bloodline member!”

After staying in the East, Josephine had begun stabbing people deeply with plain words. This time, however, she clearly intended to stab him.

“Teacher Tolan? Should you not start preparing soon?”

“P-Preparing for what?”

“Preparing to die, or… that sort of mental preparation? Something like that?”

“…….”

Tolan’s face rotted with despair. Then he crawled toward Akiell, one half of the Prisoner Duo.

“L-Look here! Akiell…! What are we supposed to do now…!”

Akiell, who had been one of the reliable members of the Prisoner Duo, asked briefly in return.

“We?”

“Huh…?”

The Youngest Son’s Telepathy Magic teacher gently removed the wrinkled hand that had grabbed his arm.

“Do not drag me into this. I already have a way to survive. I still have quite a few stocks left to sell.”

“H-How could…!”

Tolan looked as though he had been betrayed by the world, but the world was cold. No matter how warm the weather was today, for an individual, it was cruelly cold.

For Tolan, who had been a collateral bloodline member and Josephine’s teacher, today was such a day.

THUD—

His aged body collapsed to the floor. He truly did not want to do it, but his mind was already thinking of his last words.

Of course, there would be no one to listen to those last words.

“Do not worry.”

Akiell patted his shoulder, just as Tolan had done to him moments earlier.

“For a prisoner who did not try to run and stayed quietly, they will probably give you enough time to drink at least one bottle of alcohol before you die.”

“…….”

It was consolation that was of no help at all.

“Teacher.”

After the consolation of the one he had believed was his companion came the consolation of his former disciple.

“Farewell.”

It was not consolation, but a farewell. Still, perhaps there was not absolutely no trace of old affection left at all.

Before Josephine moved completely away, she left behind a faint mutter.

“Dante is a businessman.”

“Wh-What did you say…?”

“If something benefits him, he carries it with him somehow, and if something harms him, he cuts it off without mercy. Do you think he keeps me with him because he loves me?”

“Ah…”

“So try using the creativity you used when tormenting me. They say even when the sky falls, there is always a way out.”

With those words as her last, Josephine turned her back again.

“This is the last courtesy I will keep as your disciple.”

“Thank you.”

It was a brief word of gratitude. She had never imagined she would hear such words from that man.

Now, even in the same room, the Wisdom Trio had split apart. Akiell was now staying closer to Josephine.

He sought various pieces of advice from the senior who had arrived before him in the Fifth Son’s faction, where it seemed he would be staying a little longer.

“I should throw away this robe now, should I not?”

“Yes. If you return to the East wearing that now, it will be perfect for getting struck by a bone knife.”

“Yes. I suppose I should use it as a rag later.”

“If you want to find another way to prolong your life, it may also be good to develop Telepathy Magic on your own.”

“For me… to develop it?”

It was an awkward concept for a mage of Wisdom. Developing magic that had already been established? And by someone who was not even a direct-line bloodline member?

As Akiell stared blankly for a moment, Josephine smiled brightly. The junior did not understand the senior’s smile. So he asked back.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because you seem to be feeling the exact same sense of dissonance I felt.”

“…I see. You must have felt this way too.”

“Of course. The worry and feeling of whether someone who was not even a direct-line bloodline member was allowed to dig into the family’s knowledge and carve out their own offshoot.”

“How did you overcome this?”

At the junior’s question, the senior smiled once more.

“With baseless confidence.”

“…?”

At another thing he was hearing for the first time, his eyebrows rose on their own. The senior added to her junior.

“No one can judge right now whether my offshoot is superior or inferior to Wisdom. Is that not true?”

“…That is true.”

“Yes! Then what is the problem? If no one can give an answer to a question, then it is fine to give any answer you want.”

“That seems forced.”

Akiell tilted his head slightly, but Josephine was still smiling.

“There is no basis. No basis that you are wrong, and no basis that you are right. I simply bet everything on the side that says I am right.”

“You have no fear.”

“What does it matter? No one can check my hand.”

Josephine shrugged and took out her notebook, scribbling something in it again today.

A little apart from her, Akiell sank into many thoughts of his own. Tolan lay collapsed as though dead, and that state continued until the Youngest Son arrived.

CLATTER—

“Has everyone been well?”

“Dante! I heard the news! You really worked incredibly hard!”

“Thank you.”

The Youngest Son sat near Josephine. Then Akiell sat slightly farther away, and Tolan trembled without realizing it.

Naturally, he drew attention.

“Tolan.”

“Y-Yes.”

“What is this? Why are you suddenly speaking politely?”

“O-Of course I should. No matter which Great Family it is, you are a direct-line bloodline member. Hahaha…”

The Youngest Son smiled faintly and asked Josephine.

“What is wrong with him?”

“He is afraid he will die, what else?”

Tolan’s body flinched once more.

“Now that the Wisdom Delegation has left, the only lifeline that could save him has disappeared. If he wants to die even a little more comfortably, he should at least be polite.”

Josephine’s sharp words pierced her former teacher mercilessly, leaving nothing out. The Youngest Son drove in the wedge.

“That is true.”

Those words approached more frighteningly than ever before. But the Youngest Son’s voice did not end there.

“Hey, Tolan.”

“Yes, yes. Young Master.”

“What are you good at?”

At that question, the advice his former disciple had given him moments earlier flashed past.

The Fifth Son was a businessman. A businessman valued profit and loss more than emotions and judged only that.

That meant that if something was profitable, he would not care what past lay behind that profit.

Tolan hurriedly rose.

“I-I!”

“Yes. You what?”

“When I was in the family, I taught children all along…!”

“I do not know. If anything, that seems like a demerit.”

He could tell by the way Josephine’s expression beside him twisted sharply.

Tolan quickly chose his words.

“I-I also know the family’s magic that I learned as a collateral bloodline member.”

“What is it?”

The Youngest Son asked what it was, and Akiell and Josephine cast doubtful looks at him.

Their gazes seemed to ask whether someone like him could have done that. Had he really learned the family’s magic? He should not have that level of talent.

Those gazes roughly swept over Tolan. The old mage gulped dryly. That was because, just as they suspected, it was a lie.

To be precise, it was a truth with a rather large proportion of lies.

“Before I came with the Delegation as a Pursuer… I learned a few of the Pursuers’ spells.”

Akiell snorted.

“Tracking Magic? That is not particularly remarkable.”

“Tracking Magic is not. But while living to this age, I also glimpsed a few of their secret spells.”

“What can you do with something you only glimpsed?”

“Look, Akiell. I carry the blood of Wisdom. You know what that means.”

Akiell’s eyes narrowed. However, he did not argue further. It was because he understood what Tolan meant.

Not only Josephine, but also the Youngest Son understood it.

“You mean that with the mana sensitivity of the Wisdom bloodline, copying magic seen only a few times is not difficult?”

“Even if the body grows old, the senses do not. With experience, they have only improved. They have not worsened.”

“Very well. Let us set that aside. Josephine. What do you think?”

Sitting beside him, she shook her head as if it did not matter to her.

“The Pursuers’ magic developed largely within that group alone, so even direct-line members do not know the details unless they take an interest. I do not think it is without value.”

“If he truly knows the secret spells, that is.”

Tolan swallowed dryly. However, the Youngest Son knew that investment required time. Therefore, the execution date was not today either.

“I will give you time to mix a little more truth into your lies. From tomorrow until we arrive at Eclipse.”

“Th-Thank you…”

“You had better hurry a little. Since I have finished what I needed to do, there is no longer any reason for the Delegation to stay here.”

This time, Akiell was startled.

“I-If you finished what you needed to do… did you cure the Crown Prince’s illness?”

“It was not an illness to begin with. There was nothing wrong with his body, so feeding him the Elixir would have been the same.”

It might have given him temporary vitality and kept him breathing for a few more years, but it would not have been a fundamental solution.

“Wh-What? How in the world did you do it? Please tell me.”

The Youngest Son immediately shook his head.

“No. Who knows what kind of clever trick a Telepathy Mage might pull from this side?”

“Wh-What…! Fifth Son! You know better than anyone that such a thing makes no sense!”

“Who knows? How do I know whether you have some hidden technique that you are concealing from me and have not told me about?”

Akiell thumped his own chest in frustration.

“I will tell you a little later, Josephine.”

“Yes!”

Even within Wisdom, their treatment was clear. Amid that three-way atmosphere, the Youngest Son lightly clapped his hands.

“We leave at noon tomorrow. If you have any luggage to pack, pack it.”

After leaving the room with those words as his last, the Youngest Son went not to his own room, but to Kairos’s room.

He had currently gone to the Yellow Dragon. Considering the Yellow Dragon’s personality, he would not keep him for long.

Even if he kept him for a long time, it did not matter.

Even if the Delegation would not, the Youngest Son, separated from the Delegation, intended to remain here a little longer.

TAP—

“Have you come?”

Two people landed on the floor. One of them, drained by prolonged Spirit Form, made a small sound, but the other did not.

“I expected you would arrive around now. Also, the Millesdusk Delegation leaves tomorrow at noon, so it should be fine to withdraw most of the personnel.”

“Y-Young Master. We just—”

“Yes. Did you obtain the Elixir safely?”

“We did.”

Only one of the three was urgent, while the other two were relaxed.

Among the relaxed ones, the Head Maid offered him one bloodstained Spatial Artifact.

“This is it.”

“Good work.”

Without even looking at its contents, he nodded and tossed it into another Spatial Artifact. The sight was enough to make them feel a little empty, but there was something they had to say immediately.

“Y-Young Master. Please listen to us.”

“I doubt it is anything particularly new.”

“No. It absolutely is. Right now, right in front of the Millesdusk neutral zone—”

“Wisdom is secretly setting up a large-scale teleportation magic circle.”

Kang Yu’s mouth, which had been pouring out words urgently, was filled with a lump of honey.

“How… did you know?”

“How could those bastards come right under our noses? Because I let them. Then why did I let them? Try guessing.”

Instead of the agent who had become mute as if he had eaten honey, the former agent beside him answered.

“Because the Young Master has a plan for everything.”