“The royal family has stopped their support?”
Simone, with a surprised voice, asked again.
“That’s something I’ve never heard of before either.”
“Yes, it seems like the Princess has been handling it very secretly, to the point that even our former Minister of Administration doesn’t know about it.”
When the name ‘Princess Eva’ came out of her mouth, I tensed up, and my body stiffened.
“I don’t know what she’s thinking, but it seems like the Princess wants to fight for dominance with us or something. She completely cut off our support. She even sent auditors for a few matters.”
“This is the first time I’m hearing about the Princess doing something like this. What could she be thinking?”
“Who knows, it would be nice to find out. Perhaps she’s trying to establish some discipline before she inherits the throne.”
While Elisabetta spoke with a disinterested tone, I thought about Princess Eva.
What could possibly have made her decide to go against the Magic Tower?
Wasn’t she supposed to be a pioneer in magical engineering and deeply involved in magical research?
“In any case, as a result, our situation has become more difficult recently, Ghieuspe. That’s why we decided to accept requests for civilian cooperation just a while ago.”
“…Understood.”
“Wait, doesn’t that mean we can also make a request?”
Arkhangelo, as if he had realized something, raised himself from the sofa and said.
“I have plenty of money. Actually, I’m not after Aurora for the money. So, I will make a request. Help us capture Aurora Shae!”
Arkhangelo shouted with confidence, but the only response he received was Elisabetta’s cold refusal.
“Unfortunately, that’s not possible. Accepting opposing requests at the same time would damage our credibility.”
“Tch, you’re unnecessarily honest.”
While Arkhangelo grumbled, I kept glancing at Ghieuspe.
He had a deep shadow over his expression and kept his mouth tightly shut except when he had something necessary to say.
Of course, Ghieuspe was usually quiet and reserved, but this was a bit much.
No matter how I look at it, it seems like he’s afraid of Elisabetta…
Even more than I am.
How could he be so afraid after spending time together at the Magic Tower? Did Elisabetta do something to him?
And Simone…
‘Is he feeling uncomfortable, or is he trying to be considerate of Ghieuspe?’
Simone, who seemed to know something about the Magic Tower, was smiling politely, but honestly, it looked fake to anyone.
As I was tilting my head in confusion, I suddenly made direct eye contact with Elisabetta. My body involuntarily shuddered.
Strange, it feels like she’s looking at me with a creepy gaze.
“Magic Tower Master, we’ve finished our business here, so we’ll be leaving now.”
“But there’s still something left to do.”
Elisabetta looked at me with a sinister gaze and smiled.
“Shouldn’t we first register Lady Viviana as a mage?”
“……….”
Ghieuspe had an uncomfortable expression, but he couldn’t defy Elisabetta’s words.
Elisabetta lightly snapped her fingers, and soon, a paper appeared in the air.
“What kind of magic is this?”
I asked in surprise, and Elisabetta kindly answered with a voice as if she were speaking to a child.
“Oh, it’s a magic artifact. It’s not my unique magic. I’m a light mage, after all.”
“Ah, you’re a light mage.”
“This is just the paperwork we make new mages fill out every time they come.”
A few sheets of paper and a quill pen were placed on the desk in front of me. It was just a form asking for my personal information and seeking consent to collect my data; there was nothing special about it.
“Hmm, I thought there might be a trap to bind me into a slave contract, but I guess not.”
“…Lady Viviana, don’t people usually think about such things in their heads?”
“Honesty is the best policy.”*
*William Shakespeare, All’s Well That Ends Well
“That’s not the right time to use that phrase…”
When I finished signing the paper, Elisabetta clapped her hands a couple of times with a joyful expression.
“Great, now we just need to verify your abilities. Can you use any magic?”
“Hmm, how about a spell that switches the positions of objects?”
“That will be sufficient for the verification.”
Under Elisabetta’s supervision, I used magic to switch the positions of two teacups.
Casting a spell in front of someone as powerful as the Tower Master was nerve-wracking, but thankfully, I succeeded.
“Well then, Lady Viviana is now a state-certified mage. Congratulations.”
“Wow… I don’t feel happy at all, but I’ll pretend to be happy.”
“The more I see you, the more honest you seem. So…”
“Are you saying you want to kill me?”
“No, I’m saying you’re charming.”
“…What?”
“The more I see you, the more attractive you become. It would be nice to have you in my grasp. You’re not already owned by someone, are you? Are you seeing anyone?”
Somehow, the genre seems to have changed.
While I subtly rolled my eyes, Elisabetta continued speaking.
“I’ve personally become interested in you, Lady Viviana. Spatial mages are really rare, you know.”
“What?”
What is this? Is she trying to seduce me?
“So, I think it would be great if you stayed at the Tower. We could research magic together. You might even become the most powerful mage and succeed me as the Tower Master. It’s about time I started thinking about my successor.”
“So, you’re saying you want me to become a mage belonging to the Tower?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
That was not an appealing offer at all.
As I was about to refuse Elisabetta’s suggestion, Ghieuspe spoke before I could.
“Tower Master, Seraphina doesn’t need to train separately at the Tower because she belongs to the Viviana family…”
“I wasn’t asking you, Ghieuspe.”
Ghieuspe immediately shut his mouth again. His expression grew even darker.
No matter how you look at it, Ghieuspe is definitely afraid of Elisabetta…
“So, Lady Viviana, what do you think?”
“I agree with Ghieuspe. Besides, I have things to do right now. You wouldn’t take care of those tasks for me, would you? So, you should let me go.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Even though I spoke quite rudely, Elisabetta continued to look at me with a subtle expression.
Soon, she smiled alluringly and asked again.
“Alright, Lady Viviana. Then, how about I show you around the Tower for a bit? You might change your mind.”
