“Is that why he was expelled from the Mage Tower?”
“Yes, because everyone involved in his experiment died horribly.”
A cold silence filled the room. Tehard pressed his fingers to his forehead in frustration, while the tense Rosalie clasped her hands on her lap.
Erudit, who had been deducing the situation from their conversation, glanced at Rosalie with a worried expression.
“Nothing is known about the results of his experiment. But other magicians speculate that there were no significant outcomes, which is why nothing was disclosed.”
“So that’s why he came to see the Duchess…”
“Magicians are generally obsessed with their experiments, but he takes it to an extreme level. If he has sought you out even after being expelled… he likely won’t give up easily.”
Recalling the farewell from Rondun who said that they’d surely meet again made Rosalie realize it was unlikely that he would give up without a fight.
‘But if he’s been expelled, then the Mage Tower won’t intervene in any conflicts with him.’
“Is he in this empire?”
“There are indications that he’s allied with a dark force in the empire.”
Tehard groaned. He had no desire to deal with such troublesome matters. Magicians typically had little interest in human society. Answering questions was easy enough, but he felt no obligation to go beyond that.
“I’m sorry, but all I can provide is information. I’m sharing this because the Duchess supports us.”
“Yes, information is all I need.”
Rosalie’s calm demeanor surprised Tehard. He had expected her to push for more help and had been ready to refuse, but her unperturbed reaction left him at a loss.
“In that case, can I ask one more question since we’re already talking?”
When she spoke again, Tehard, who had been on guard, was again taken aback by her simple request for information.
“…Yes, go ahead.”
“Do you know about any experiments involving the periodic extraction of human skin, blood, and other body parts?”
“Ha, is that what he’s doing?”
Tehard asked incredulously. Rosalie, unwilling to mention Radinis by name, just nodded.
“Haaa… Experiments involving human bodies are broad, so it’s hard to guess. It might be something new. But what’s certain is that past experiments using human samples have had fatal outcomes for the subjects.”
Rosalie’s expression grew troubled. She wouldn’t allow Radinis to be dragged into such experiments again, but she worried about the effects of the parts he had already provided.
“…Would a person still be affected if the experiment was stopped?”
“No, as long as the samples are provided without directly inscribing a magic circle on their body, they should be fine.”
Rosalie’s face finally relaxed with relief.
“Thank you, Tehard.”
Tehard waved off her gratitude and said that it was no big deal.
“I can answer questions like these. And since you’re connected to Erudit, feel free to ask more in the future.”
“Thank you.”
This time, Erudit expressed his gratitude, which Tehard shrugged off with a playful grin.
“It’s nothing. We were close at the academy back then. If you’re not busy, why don’t we have a drink?”
Erudit, who still had work to do, hesitated. Rosalie chuckled and patted his shoulder.
“Erudit, it’s fine. Go and unwind with your friend.”
“But I still have a bit of work left.”
“It’s not urgent. Tehard, I’ll cover the drinks, so enjoy yourselves.”
Excited at the prospect of expensive drinks, Tehard sprang to his feet and beckoned Erudit to join him.
“Why don’t you join us, Duchess?”
“I’m sorry, I have matters to attend to.”
Tehard clicked his tongue in disappointment. Rosalie could easily guess how he and Erudit had become friends, given his sociable nature.
The three of them left the reception room together. As they stepped outside, Rosalie frowned at the sight of Nathan standing there with a disgruntled expression.
“…When did you get here?”
“Just now. I left Derivis in the office.”
Rosalie had called for him to brief Derivis about the magician and to keep Nathan, who despised magicians, away from the mansion.
However, Nathan had returned quicker than expected, and the conversation had dragged on. As Rosalie predicted, Nathan’s sharp gaze fixed on Tehard.
“I don’t want the stench of a filthy magician in this mansion.”
“He’s a guest for now.”
Rosalie stepped in front of Nathan. Tehard, offended by the insult, didn’t hide his displeasure.
“Nathan, please calm down.”
Erudit, looking flustered, stood between Tehard and Nathan. Though Tehard was usually easygoing, he was not one to be trifled with.
“Do you know me? How dare you show such hostility right off the bat?”
“If you don’t like it, then leave the mansion.”
In the end, Tehard, who was also furious, released a little killing intent towards Nathan. Rosalie sighed deeply, wrapped herself in mana, and stomped the ground hard.
The sound of cracking echoed as dust rose, slightly easing the tense standoff between Nathan and Tehard.
“What’s all this commotion?”
Hearing the disturbance, Derivis rushed down from the office, alarmed by the tension and noise.
“It’s nothing serious.”
Rosalie waved it off, though she shot a sharp look at Nathan. He responded by sticking his tongue out mockingly and hid behind Derivis.
“Derivis? It’s been a while.”
Tehard, who had been glaring at Nathan, widened his eyes in surprise upon seeing Derivis. Erudit, too, seemed taken aback by the unexpected connection.
“…You two know each other?”
“During my time at the academy, I asked Derivis for help with my research on auror and mana a few times.”
“It’s been a while.”
“Indeed~. How have you been?”
As Tehard chatted amiably, he noticed Nathan glaring at him from behind Derivis and frowned again.
“Erudit, take Tehard and leave the mansion.”
Rosalie intervened as the tension rose again, prompting Erudit to push Tehard out quickly.
“Derivis~ Let’s have a drink sometime!”
Tehard ignored Nathan and made a point of chatting with Derivis before disappearing. Nathan ran a frustrated hand through his hair, looking like he had just seen something disgusting.
“Nathan…”
“I really can’t stand magicians.”
Despite Rosalie’s cold warning, Nathan showed no intention of changing his stance. He didn’t even try to hide his displeasure.
“Nathan, let’s go blow off some steam.”
Unable to stand it any longer, Derivis placed a hand on Nathan’s shoulder. Despite his foul mood, Nathan agreed and followed Derivis.
Meanwhile, Martin, who had been hesitating to approach due to the presence of guests, hurried over as soon as Derivis and Nathan left. His hands trembled as he swept the floor.
“Y-Your Grace… the floor… We’ve worked so hard for hundreds of years to keep the mansion pristine… but now…!”
“…I’m sorry. Hire the best repairmen no matter the cost and fix it.”
“Y-Yes… I will do that.”
“…I’m really sorry.”
Leaving the still trembling Martin behind, Rosalie hurried away. A single tear from Martin fell onto the floor where Rosalie had stepped, pooling in the dent she had made.
⊱⊱⊱────── {.⋅ ✧✧✧ ⋅.} ──────⊰⊰⊰
In Rosalie’s training ground, Nathan and Derivis skipped the warm-ups and immediately launched into combat.
‘They really are superhuman.’
Rosalie watched in awe as they swung their swords with deadly precision. If someone asked her to join them, she would grab that person by the collar and throw them into the fray. Their skills were that exceptional.
The sparring match ended shortly. Nathan, who had missed the final move, panted heavily and shrugged his shoulders.
“Devi~ You’re so annoying~.”
“But at least you’re calmer now.”
Derivis sheathed his sword and commented, while Nathan nodded in agreement. Rosalie had the servants bring towels, which she handed to each of them.
“So, why did that magician come here?”
Rosalie hesitated at Nathan’s question, concerned that discussing another magician might agitate him again. Sensing this, Derivis encouraged her to speak.
“…There’s a magician who approached me. He’s aligned with the Empress.”
“Hmm~? Which magician?”
Nathan’s eyes sparkled with renewed interest. Rosalie turned to Derivis, who merely shrugged.
“His name is Rondun. He became interested in my swapped soul and proposed some experiments.”
“We should kill him.”
Nathan spoke as if it was the most natural thing. Rosalie sighed and approached him.
“Nathan, I understand that you hate magicians. But Tehard is different, and you can’t show hostility to every magician you meet for no reason.”
“…I can’t help it. Just smelling a magician’s scent makes me furious.”
“Then I’ll have to send you away every time a magician visits.”
Although she didn’t plan to bring magicians into the mansion often out of consideration for Nathan, it was troubling if he reacted this way every time she needed to.
“I’ll tolerate it for now since he’s a guest. I’ll just lock myself in my room whenever a magician comes.”
Then, Nathan reluctantly took a step back. Rosalie nodded in satisfaction.
“I’ll let you know in advance when a magician is coming.”
And thus, they reached a compromise.
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