Chapter 215
Chapter 215
“Unbelievable. I freed you and it still wasn’t enough — you had to be jailed as well.”
Was he really that clueless? Or simply shameless? Given he was a hardened noble, the answer wasn’t hard to guess.
“It was a necessary measure.”“Of course. It’s the command of the student council president — what can I do but obey?”“My maid said you weren’t exactly obedient, though.”
At my words his eyebrows twitched angrily.
“Damn it — that maid… I didn’t expect her to hide such strength.”
No matter how skilled Ricky Serclaire was as a mage, he couldn’t overcome a vampire — a race absurdly specialized for magic.
“You look suitably bitter.”“You—!”“Well, your skill wasn’t bad. But you still haven’t broken through your wall. Don’t just copy others; stand firm in yourself.”
Batory’s voice slipped from the shadows. Ricky ground his teeth.
“So? What did you come to see me about?”
Maybe remembering his defeat, he turned his eyes away from Batory and faced me.
“I came to chat.”“A chat? That’s a laugh. At a time like this—”“You’re from the West too, aren’t you? You know what a ‘Western-style chat’ between criminals and nobles means.”
My tone went cold; he flinched.
“Western-style ‘chats’ are nothing but torture. Every Western noble learns that as part of a proper education.”
“Who are you calling a lowly criminal?”“Isn’t it obvious? Outside, mages belonging to the Mage Tower are running rampant.”
Would someone with the Mage Tower’s likely influence really have no responsibility here?
“Wait! That’s going too far! I’m technically affiliated with the Tower, but I have nothing to do with this rebellion—”“Maybe you don’t know. But under torture, someone might spill something.”
Even if he were innocent, he wouldn’t shake off suspicion easily. Evidence can be forged; circumstances can be manufactured.
“You—this is ridiculous.”
He finally grasped the situation. Ricky’s face had gone as white as his hair and he waved his hands desperately.
“Wait! You’re mistaken. My family and I have no connection to this!”“Hah. Now that your life’s on the line, you plead innocence?”“I’m not joking!”
Interrogation that’s meant to harass instead of obtain information is just a perverse hobby. I beckoned him on.
“Now then—speak.”“…I’ll prove my innocence.”
He muttered a spell.
“…Is that safe?”“Don’t worry. I’ve put measures in place so you can’t use magic above a certain level.”
Batory put a hand on her hip and showed the sort of confidence one gets when a great archmage personally gave the seal.
“It’s not an offensive seal — it’s for storing items. No problem.”“Oh ho. So you had something hidden.”
As his magic slowly waned—
—thud.
A sealed letter popped out of thin air and landed on the desk.
“What’s this?”“It’s from the head of the Serclaire family — his letter.”“Oh. That’s your proof of innocence, then?”“Of course. There’s a seal; it can’t be forged.”
Ricky muttered gruffly, but I snatched the letter from his hand and opened it.
[To Ricky.][Regarding recent Mage Tower research…][There are movements that might interest you…][…]
A dry, no-fluff letter: the household tone was obvious. The passage I needed was easy to find.
[There are suspicious movements in the Mage Tower. The duke seems to have reached out to someone, but our house has no part in it. Keep your guard.]
Clearly the Serclaires were not involved in the rebellion. The letter’s tone showed they had been excluded.
“How odd.”“That should prove your innocence.”“Yes, but the Serclaire family is well-respected in the Tower. Why would the duke not contact you? That’s suspicious.”
He didn’t look surprised by my suspicious stare; if anything, he was annoyed. He bit his lip.
“Are you teasing me on purpose?”Ricky slammed the desk with a cold voice.
“The Tower’s position weakened because of you!”“Huh? Are you saying it’s my fault?”“Yes! Because of that trial you arranged!”
Ricky argued that his humiliation at the academy hadn’t stayed there — it had rippled through the Tower. He’d exposed weaknesses and the Tower’s factions had pounced.
“Ah, I see.”
I sarcastically praised him. It felt deliciously satisfying — karma, finally landing. Still, it wasn’t entirely bad: it showed his house hadn’t instigated the rebellion.
“If that’s it, can you let me go now? The misunderstanding’s cleared.”
His gaze slid to Batory — the one who had imprisoned him. For someone whose magic had mostly been sealed, it must have felt maddening.
“Fine. The student council president gave me full authority over this. I can release you.”“You seem to understand decorum well.”“Before that, listen to my proposal.”
His “proposal” wasn’t optional. It smelled like coercion: refuse and you may never leave this room. The expression on his face darkened.
“All right. I’ll hear it.”
Mages were proud — they rarely bent. Ricky Serclaire was no exception; injured pride makes stubborn men dangerous. Still, he listened.
“Relax. Who do you plan to devour?”“Damn it, this is your fault!”“Don’t worry. My proposal won’t harm you; it’ll even benefit the Serclaire house.”
Even if their influence had weakened, the Serclaires were still a major name. My idea required only that they persuade some mages to abandon the rebellion.
“Do you have a communication crystal to reach the West?”“Of course.”“Then tell your father to pull some of the Tower’s people aside — get any who can be swayed to leave the rebellion.”
He cocked his head at my words.
“Leave them? You mean…?”
Not every mage had joined the rebels out of conviction. Some followed because of promises, fear, or opportunism. A respected Serclaire word could sway wavering mages.
“You’re instigating a rift.”“Exactly. It’s not a bad deal for House Serclaire: if this rebellion fails, they avoid punishment and could fill the power vacuum.”
If they moved decisively, Serclaire could become the Tower’s dominant house. Greed began to flicker in Ricky’s eyes.
“Considering the trial, I should actively help you.”“Excellent. The saint and some duke scions have agreed to assist us. If House Serclaire joins, all the better.”
He took my hand in assent.
That deal would likely cause some mages to abandon the front. The exchange was made — a successful way to weaken enemy forces.
“Professor Marks! Some mages are abandoning the front!”“The dorm is losing students by the minute! If this continues—”
How had the tide turned so quickly? Outside, the rebel and imperial forces seemed roughly even — but not here. Inside, the nobles had competent troops behind them while the rebels had mostly inexperienced kids. Even so, toppling this front suddenly became trivial.
“The situation is worsening.”
Freed hostages, collapsed positions — news kept getting worse.
“Professor Marks, we need reinforcements—”“Quiet. Our objective remains the same.”
A student’s complaints faded as the old man moved forward.
“There are imperial bloodlines near us. The headmaster shielded important people first.”“Then…?”“I always move forward. Establish a new order in this Academy. Begin a world without class discrimination.”
For that vision, anything in the way must be removed — nobles’ rotten Academy, even imperial kin.
“Persistent old man — you still have mana, don’t you?”
Earmarked golems lumbered forward, and the old man snarled with a grin.
“Then come on!”
With a practiced shout, the golem’s iron plates buckled as it slammed the Academy building.
“First, take apart the headmaster who obstructs us. Then find the Crown Prince and the Third Prince.”
Everything he did served a long-held wish. The old man pushed through the rubble of broken golems and advanced.