Chapter 413: Strata Magic School (3-24)
The reason Louis and Karin had been summoned by Duke Brandtrup was simply to continue the conversation they'd cut short at dinner.
But for unfinished business, the atmosphere in the room hung unusually heavy.
"Second place?"
"...Yes."
Louis tensed up, staring at his father with anxious eyes.
Before he'd awakened his talent for magic, Louis had been just another ordinary noble without any gifts—nothing special.
That meant constant comparisons to Karin Brandtrup, and as the eldest son, he was always getting scolded by the duke for failing to prove his competence.
Of course, those reprimands had come from the duke as family head, and Louis had accepted them knowing his own shortcomings.
But once his talent emerged, the days of sharp criticism from his father and the duchess noticeably dwindled.
The problem was that all those past scoldings had conditioned him—now, just standing before the duke filled him with dread, his body trembling at the thought of what rebuke might come next.
In contrast, Karin...
'That statue of a woman hasn't changed a bit.'
Even before the stern duke, she just stared at him like a stone idol.
As Louis eyed his sister with a mix of envy and irritation, he listened intently to his father's words.
"I see..."
"..."
"You did very well."
"Th-thank you."
Louis had heard countless praises and criticisms from the duke over the years.
And when the duke offered praise, using such a straightforward phrase like "very well" meant he was genuinely pleased.
If there had been any shortcomings, the duke—the man who never hesitated to point them out—would have said so outright.
"As duke, I'm satisfied with your second place, and as your father, I'm proud."
"Thank you, Father."
"But..."
Louis steadied his racing heart and met his father's gaze as the duke spoke softly.
"I hope you'll rise to a level that satisfies you."
"...I'll do my best."
Louis felt no disappointment in his father's words laced with regret.
'Next semester... things won't go like this then.'
As Louis steeled his resolve, the duke turned his head toward Karin, who stood beside him.
"I was worried when the delegation arrived so suddenly, but I trust your trip went well?"
"Yes, it did."
Though her voice was delicate, it carried a weight in the room rivaling the duke's own.
The duke nodded and pressed on.
"Good. And you passed on my regards to the count?"
"...Yes, I met him in person and greeted him."
For a fleeting moment, Louis caught the subtle twitch in Karin's brow.
'This is the best mood she's ever in.'
Having spent a lifetime observing Karin's fake smiles and blank expressions, Louis could spot the crack in her facade.
No matter how unpleasant the words, she never showed it—except when talk turned to Count Potts and Jeff. Then, her discomfort leaked out enough for even Louis to notice.
He saw that as her one weakness.
'Can't wait to ship her off to the Potts family and watch it all go to hell.'
Louis longed to see Karin—the sister who'd looked down on him like a plaster statue in his childhood—finally crumble.
'Marriage won't save you. No matter how you worm your way into the Potts house, it's already in my pocket. I'll grind that smug face of yours into the dirt.'
Unaware or perhaps indifferent to Louis's inner thoughts, the duke continued his conversation with Karin.
"There was that unfortunate incident, but... the world doesn't always bend to our desires."
"..."
The phrase "doesn't always bend to our desires" carried double meaning.
One referred to the trouble at the Potts estate; the other, to Karin's future.
Louis was certain the latter would hit her hardest.
'Looks like even Father's starting to bend to Mother's influence. He never even brought it up indirectly before.'
The Duke of Brandtrup had never been keen on marrying Karin off to the Potts family.
But the duchess was different.
If the duke was neutral, the duchess was pragmatic.
Both were strict and acted for the family's sake, but the duchess pursued tangible gains above all.
No successor had been named yet, but the moment one was, the other would need to prepare to leave the house.
The duchess had already begun steamrolling ahead as if the decision was made.
And that successor was...
'It's over. Father's just realized dragging it out is pointless. Besides, Mother prefers quick resolutions once she decides.'
Having said his piece, the duke nodded to the two of them.
"You've both worked hard. Go rest."
"Yes, Father."
Louis and Karin answered in unison, then left the duke's room and walked side by side down the hall.
The chilly corridor echoed only with the click-clack of their shoes—no breaths, no words.
Click, clack, click.
The hallway filled solely with the sound of heels.
As Karin turned toward her room, pivoting her shoes and showing her back—
"Oh, by the way..."
"..."
She froze at Louis's voice, back still turned.
Louis smirked bitterly at her silhouette.
"I've been hearing you've been awfully busy lately, running around everywhere."
"..."
Louis wasn't deaf.
Word was Karin had been meeting other nobles frequently, building connections nonstop.
She'd always been sociable, but this felt different—far more frantic.
'She's desperate... Who'd want to marry a creep like Jeff?'
Flashing his usual friendly smile, Louis called after her turned back.
"Make some time for me too, while you're at it. We haven't caught up in ages. Let's grab a meal soon."
"...Do as you like."
With that curt reply and not a flicker of expression, Karin headed to her room.
Only after she was fully gone did Louis start humming to himself.
"Heh... Never thought the day would come when she'd answer me so meekly."
Humming cheerfully, he made for his own room.
"If you need anything, just ring the call bell right away."
The maid said that and carefully closed my room's door as she left.
I glanced around the room, humming to myself.
'Not bad at all.'
It was smaller and simpler than the guest room at Count Potts's castle, but I liked that too.
'Everything I need is here.'
One issue cropped up, though, separate from how much I liked the room.
'Six of them, right?'
Yes. They lack any particular martial or magical talent... but wandering the annex freely won't be easy.
Roaming the annex itself wasn't a problem, but the servants on guard duty would spot me and report straight to Louis.
I'd figured I'd come here, hook up with Luna all happy and carefree...
I shook my head sharply side to side and focused.
'Luna later. Focus on Jeff first. How to dream intrude him?'
There are two methods.
One: Summon Beatrice to handle the dream intrusion. Two: Put all the annex servants to sleep and do it myself.
Normally, I'd avoid diving into some guy's dream and hand it off to Beatrice, but...
'I need solid intel this time, so I'll go in person.'
Just in case, I'll have the two of them wait in the warp room.
'Good... Let's go!'
I eyed the spot outside my room displaying the disposition window, cast Sleep, then quietly cracked the door open for a peek.
The maid in the chair was already dozing, head nodding.
'Most of them just sit and stand watch without moving much. Easy enough.'
I put every servant I passed on the way to Jeff's room under Sleep.
They were all stationary anyway, and knocking them all out shouldn't raise flags.
'No idiot's gonna admit their legs went numb and they dozed off.'
That got me to Jeff's room without a hitch.
Sighing at the sleeping Jeff, I muttered,
'Haa... Really don't wanna go in.'
The revulsion surging up made even that time Louis grabbed my sleeve seem preferable.
I let out a deep breath, glared, and resolved myself.
'I'll dive in, grab what I need fast, and get out!'
Understood.
With that, I dove into Jeff's dream.
..
..
The result...
'Goddamn moron... He knows nothing.'
That bad?
'Seriously, zilch.'
Total letdown.
His daily routine was just booze and women on repeat.
I learned Karin Brandtrup was the reason he'd sunk so deep into it, but even before her, it wasn't much different.
Pre-Karin, he'd snap out of his benders somewhat; post-Karin, that's when the real crazy shit started.
Like rape.
'Is he insane? If anything, getting tied to Karin should make him careful, not turn him into a bigger idiot...'
Nothing on Count Potts?
'Haa... Nada...'
The biggest reason I'd dived into Jeff's dream was Karin and Count Potts.
But...
I'd scoured for info on the count or the territory, but it was pointless.
Zero interest in the domain; he just burned his father's money on vice and pleasure.
The one thing I gleaned...
'He knows damn well Karin hates his guts.'
Even in his own dream, Jeff instinctively knew she despised him, manifesting it as nightmares.
Contempt, disdain, loathing, hatred.
Those feelings sharpened as ties with the ducal house deepened.
And one more discovery...
'Picked up some dialogue from the banquet night. Not crystal clear 'cause he was wasted.'
He remembered his own rampage.
But the issue was the scene before—drinking wine with Karin.
Just a few glasses in, the conversation derailed, the memories cutting out like a broken film reel.
The scraps I caught...
("I... can't stand worthless men. I like them bold and courageous.")
("M-me too... hic... I've got c-courage!")
Harmless so far.
But then:
("What I mean is... a man with real power. Someone who could stand tall even before the dean, for instance.")
What a cunning woman.
The line itself was clean.
Hard to call foul on "stand tall before the dean."
The problem? Jeff wasn't in his right mind taking it in.
'Impressive.'
Even if those words leaked out, it wouldn't touch Karin Brandtrup.
'And twisting a drunkard's ramblings would be child's play...'
If I hadn't been with the dean, things probably would've gone exactly as Karin planned.
What did Karin make of me?
As I pondered, Armonia messaged me.
What now, sir?
I slapped the sleeping Jeff's cheek hard.
Smack!
'...Let's go!'
To the Brandtrup duke's mansion!