Wizards Are Romance
Overhearing the conversations of passersby on the street as they stealthily discussed my novel, the reactions were all over the place.
The men's reactions were like that. The women's were even more intense, to the point where I didn't need to eavesdrop any further. What was clear was that both male and female readers shared similar suspicions that Sophia might also be a man.
That rumor would spread too. With the gay Prince Schwald already in the picture, it wasn't impossible.
Alright. Now that I'd tossed out the bait, it was time for Milene to step forward.
Since I was part of the Loen family now, I headed straight to the Royal Guard with my head held high. The moment I gave my name, they escorted me all the way to the knight commander.
"Huh? That black armor...?"
"Reserve Hero Milene, reporting."
"Ah, yes! I'm Chronon, captain of the Royal Guard. What can I do for you?"
"There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
I sat down across from Chronon and brought up my younger sister Sophia. He already seemed aware of the spreading rumor about Villia being a crossdresser—probably heard it from the knights. Since he appeared to be one of Heintz's subordinates, he would know the full context. And on top of that, I intended to drive the final nail in.
"So you're saying your younger sister Sophia's body might truly be male, and not just a rumor?"
"Ah, I'm not completely certain myself. As her older sister, it's merely a suspicion on my part."
"Ahem. That is..."
Chronon looked like he had plenty to say, but his face flushed and he couldn't form a proper response. Of course he couldn't. When an older sister claims her own sister is actually a man, anyone would want to ask for evidence. So I laid it out plainly.
After all, I had zero interest in seeing Sophia's pathetic naked body, no desire to, and if the opportunity ever arose I'd gouge out my own eyes first.
Time for some dramatic acting.
"I'll be direct. Honestly, even though I'm her older sister, I've never once seen her undressed. Strangely enough, she was incredibly modest for a girl. Even as a noble."
"As her older sister, I knew nothing about that child."
"Ah... I see."
"What I'm telling you is simply that she might be a man. Wouldn't that be helpful?"
"Helpful in what way?"
"To have Sophia investigated, we need to draw things out like this."
The kingdom was already in the grip of my novel's fever, and thanks to Tiana, readers were already suspecting Sophia might be a crossdresser because of the Villia rumor. If the Royal Guard leaked even a whisper of it, the story would spread across the entire nation.
"""Ah."""
"As her older sister, I know Sophia's personality well. She'll come rushing to prove her innocence. On the contrary, she'll try to use it as an excuse to strike at me."
"So you're waiting for that opening."
"Exactly. If it plays out that way, you guards will become the kingdom's true heroes who exposed Holpert's evil schemes."
If they were Heintz's men, they would at least possess basic common sense and wouldn't have any special ties to House Holpert.
"But aren't you also a Holpert young lady, Lady Milene?"
"I'm a Loen now. No matter their noble status, there's no reason for me to protect a family that cast me out, is there?"
"Ah. Understood."
"The real issue will be the interrogation afterward."
Sophia would first try to prove she was a woman. Even if a female knight or someone else verified it, the matter would only resolve cleanly if she confessed herself.
"Ah, you needn't worry about that. The reason things have dragged on like this is because the Magic Tower personally requested a magician."
"A magician?"
"One who can touch the head and force the truth out. Since the opponent is a Holpert, we couldn't handle it with force."
"I see. So you're seeking help from the neutral faction—the Magic Tower."
If that was the case, Sophia would have nowhere left to run this time.
"Yes. He's a magician with skill on par with Twilight."
Twilight. A legendary magician bloodline famous even within the Magic Tower. It was a family that appeared in the mid-to-late empire arc during the Magic Tower episodes.
Honestly, it was a bit messy. The setting was subtle because Twilight wasn't a bloodline that flowed exclusively through one specific family across generations. According to the lore, Twilight individuals could emerge from various houses. Literally anyone, from any family or birthplace, could awaken the Twilight lineage. That's why they were classified as a chosen clan.
The explanation sounded plausible, but there was a reason behind it. That Pakuri author bastard had left so many plot holes that every Magic Tower-related story got crammed together, mixing up all the settings. One character was supposed to be Twilight, then suddenly this guy was Twilight? That sort of thing. In the end, the author threw in whatever she wanted, resulting in a setting where it wasn't a clan at all—humans themselves could awaken as Twilight.
Thanks to the Pakuri author, it was publicly known as a family, but even so, this was unexpected. Since I'd taken over as author, changes had rippled out through truly diverse channels. Not just the Magic Tower—if it involved Twilight, they also appeared as the Hero's companions during the fight against the Demon King.
In other words, the character originally meant to be Schwald's companion might end up as Heintz's this time. Still, if the magician was as skilled as Twilight, it meant they weren't actually Twilight.
"Could I learn their name?"
"Why the sudden interest in the name?"
At that moment, someone interrupted. It was Prince Leon. I wondered when he'd arrived; it seemed he'd been watching from outside and had just stepped in.
"Prince Leon?"
"What brings the Third Prince here?"
"Ah, thank you for your hard work. I came because I spotted Lady Loen."
"Then please speak privately. I'll take my leave."
Chronon stepped outside. In an instant, the Royal Guard captain's office became a space shared only by me and Leon.
What was this subtle atmosphere? Why did Leon want to be alone with me?
"I never imagined the young lady would take an interest in Twilight."
"Ah, well, Twilight refers to a bloodline that can awaken without belonging to a specific family, right? It caught my curiosity."
"Oh, you know quite a bit. Is it mere curiosity, then?"
He asked with a bright smile, but why was he digging so persistently?
"Actually, I'm somewhat interested in magic as well."
"Hoo, I wouldn't have guessed the young lady had an interest in magic."
This guy—his eyes had been looking at me like I was some adorable creature for a while now, and it was getting on my nerves.
"Despite appearances, I've practiced magic a little."
"Practice? Why not study at the academy? Ah, my apologies."
Was this bastard doing it on purpose? Had he been aiming for this?
"It's nothing. I just study it moderately as a hobby."
I practice magic as a hobby. That should be enough. I had no desire to get caught in Leon's snare. Wasn't he the sly, obsessive type?
"How far have you progressed?"
"It's a bit scattered, but I've covered Dual-Element Magic from the kingdom's intermediate magic textbook and the elemental magic theory from the advanced one."
From this point on, Leon's reaction grew strange. He furrowed one eyebrow, clearly finding it hard to believe.
"You only learned the theory for Dual-Element Magic? Well, beginners usually struggle even with the theory, so that's impressive."
"No. I can cast Dual-Element Magic as well."
To prove it, I created water and fire, then mixed them together. Leon's face, which until a second ago had looked like he was watching a cute trick, had turned dead serious.
Ahaha. Yes. That's exactly it.
Magic isn't your exclusive domain.
And I wasn't even Twilight.
"Mixing opposing attributes so freely? Perhaps your teacher—"
"Self-taught."
"Is that even possible through self-study? This is difficult even with proper training. Most magician adventurers focus on a single attribute. This is..."
He looked genuinely shocked now. If I played my cards right, I might even be able to act superior.
With the flow of conversation now in my favor, I smirked.
"Is it that impressive?"
"More than impressive. Come with me to the Magic Tower."
"The Magic Tower?"
"Yes. This is an exceptional talent we cannot afford to miss. Indeed, this must be what I've always sensed from you, young lady."
Why was this guy suddenly throwing lines like he was hitting on me? Or was it magic-related? He was even clapping his hands now.
Fine. As long as he stopped being personally interested in me, it wasn't bad.
"Magic?"
"Yes. Well then, shall we go?"
Leon shot up from his seat, his face filled with earnest desire.
Ah, wasn't this the character who harbored feelings for Milene? I hoped this wouldn't be used against me somehow—like demanding a date in exchange for taking me to the Magic Tower. Even if it killed me, I absolutely would not do it. No way.
"Right this instant?"
"I was already on my way to the Magic Tower and stopped by here first."
"Ah, then let's do that. I'm curious as well."
After all, what was the Magic Tower? In any fantasy world, it was literally the tower of magicians. In a world with magic, nothing embodied romance quite like it. To see the real thing? I couldn't resist.
Besides, simply being allowed inside the Magic Tower required considerable skill. A place like that.
Looking at it calmly, it really would make perfect material for a novel. Following him didn't seem like a bad idea.
"But what exactly is the name of the magician who will interrogate Sophia?"
That was what I was most curious about.
"You're quite sensitive about that part."
"Well, it concerns Sophia. As her sister, I know her well."
"Ah, of course. That person is at the Magic Tower as well, so you'll see them when we arrive."
As long as Sophia could be properly punished, it was fine. The interrogator probably wasn't Twilight and wouldn't be anyone I knew. If the setting held, they were all proceeding smoothly, but around this time Twilight magicians were practically extinct. This was also the Pakuri author's fault. In the "they exist/they don't" setting, the author would write that there were Twilight magicians and then suddenly declare there weren't. That kind of thing.
In other words, the Magic Tower was currently only pretending Twilight existed. That's how it was.
Well, I was curious enough about that alone to want to go see. I ought to visit at least once.