#8. The Heroines in Other Stories Save the World and Make Great Allies
“Alright then, let’s search every corner of Eiken….”
After arriving in Eiken, I surveyed the city with a burning gaze and let out a sly chuckle. Seeing this, Arkhangelo flinched beside me.
“You’re starting to resemble Aurora more and more. Your personality is getting fiercer.”
“It’s almost like there’s an ‘Aurora virus’ or something… as if she infects the people around her.”
“Seraphina, do you have any ideas on how to find Aurora?”
“Hmm….”
At Simone’s question, I pondered for a moment before answering.
“Since we arrived in this city, I’ve been thinking about where Aurora might have gone. I plan to track her movements. What could have caught her interest here?”
“Eiken is an ordinary town. There’s only one thing unique about it.”
Ghieuspe spoke up.
“The Record Mage—his very existence.”
“A Record Mage…? Why is he so special?”
“While not as powerful as a Spatial Mage, a Record Mage has a rare attribute, even rarer than those found in the Mage Tower. And he’s said to be the most powerful of all Record Mages.”
I listened carefully to Ghieuspe’s explanation.
“And according to my analysis… the Record Mage might be useful in dealing with Princess Eva.”
“What kind of power does a Record Mage have?”
“A Record Mage can collect and compile all written information in this world. For him, there are no secrets. His abilities are especially valuable for compiling statistics or recovering lost historical records.”
“Hmm, but how would that help us against Princess Eva?”
“He could gather information about Princess Eva as well.”
Ghieuspe added,
“Even seemingly insignificant details can become powerful when combined. He might even have records on the inventions she has created.”
It was a reasonable argument, so I nodded.
“But would Aurora be interested in a Record Mage? I thought the only thing she cared about was opera.”
“If he’s a Record Mage, he might have records of Aurora’s movements as well.”
“Ah, in that case, it’s worth meeting him. What’s his name?”
“Antonio Benini—that’s his name.”
As usual, we decided to head to the largest tavern in town first. It was the best place to gather information, so we hoped to learn more about Antonio Benini there.
“Excuse me.”
Pushing open the tavern door, Raffaelo spoke in a cheerful voice.
“Does anyone here know about the Record Mage Antonio Benini?”
“You mean Antonio Benini?”
A man who appeared to be the tavern owner narrowed his eyes.
“Yes, he’s a fellow resident of this town, so of course, I know of him….”
“Perfect. We need to meet him. Do you know where he lives?”
“He lives in a secluded cabin by the lake, but meeting him won’t be easy.”
“Why is that?”
“He doesn’t interact with anyone.”
When we looked at the tavern owner with questioning eyes, he continued his explanation enthusiastically.
“He has a deep distrust of people. Ever since he was fired from his job.”
“Oh, was he wrongfully dismissed?”
Another villager chimed in, agreeing with the tavern owner.
“He used to work at the National Research Institute, but they fired him unfairly. They used him as much as they could and then discarded him.”
“Could you tell us more details about what happened?”
Simone asked politely, and after blinking a few times, the villager continued.
“We don’t know the full story, but we heard that he achieved something incredible at the institute. However, they stole his credit and fired him unjustly.”
“That’s right. Ever since then, he has cut off all contact with people and shut himself inside his house.”
“Hmm….”
We exchanged troubled looks.
If that was the case, meeting Antonio Benini would be quite difficult.
“Let’s go anyway. We need to meet him first before we can convince him or do anything else.”
“Yeah, let’s do that.”
With that decision, we set off for Antonio Benini’s house.
The lake, where the villagers told us he lived, was in a remote area outside the village. There, a lone cabin stood by the water.
“So, this is Antonio Benini’s house….”
“Excuse me, Mr. Benini, are you home?”
Simone knocked on the door and spoke in the politest tone possible, but there was no response.
“Mr. Benini, we need your help. Could you spare us a moment?”
“……….”
“Is he not home?”
“Hmph, but the villagers clearly said he never leaves the house. He must be hiding.”
“What should we do….”
After a moment of contemplation, I decided to use the information we had gathered from the villagers.
“Mr. Benini, we want to clear your name. You were wrongfully fired, weren’t you? We can help you.”
“We are mages as well.”
Ghieuspe added briefly,
“There are three mages here.”
Surprisingly, the door creaked open just a little.
Not enough for us to see inside, but just enough to hear a voice.
“Mr. Benini?”
“You… You came looking for me?”
“Yes, that’s right. We want to help you.”
“But….”
From inside, we could hear a man’s voice, hesitant and filled with defeat.
“How do you intend to help me…?”
“Just tell us what happened. We might be able to assist you.”
“Hmph, we are nobles from Boleno. If you’ve been wronged, we can use our influence to crush them.”
“Arkhangelo, that’s not an appropriate solution.”
At that moment, the door opened a little more. This time, we could see the man inside.
He looked like someone who had not stepped outside for a long time—his face was gaunt and pale, his hair was messy, and his beard was unkempt.
“Mr. Benini, what exactly happened? We want to help. As we said, we are mages, so we should support a fellow mage.”
“A mage….”
Mr. Benini hesitated for a moment but then, as if gathering his courage, he opened the door. He gestured for us to come in.
“F-fine… I’ll at least tell you my story….”
Benini’s house was a complete mess.
Books and records were scattered everywhere, and the kitchen was piled with unwashed dishes.
But what stood out the most was that there were no mechanical devices in his home.
I had heard that the Kingdom of Erdi adopted Boleno’s automaton technology faster than the Cassan Empire. While it wasn’t as advanced as Boleno, machinery had still developed quite a bit here.
‘Is he afraid of machines too?’
Remembering Princess Angela’s case, I made a mental note of this detail.
As we sat down, Benini kept his head down, avoiding eye contact, and began to speak.
“I-I used to work at the National Research Institute….”
“Yes, that makes sense, considering you’re a Record Mage.”
“Th-then, one day, the institute introduced new m-mechanical devices.”
We listened intently to his story.
“They were devices designed to assist with record-keeping.”
“And that’s why you were fired?”
“N-no, that’s not it. After all, these machines still needed humans to operate them. They weren’t as capable as I was.”
So, at first, his presence was still necessary even after the machines were introduced.
“T-they frequently malfunctioned. So, I used my ab-abilities to improve them. I combined my magic with the machines.”
“And then, were you fired because they no longer needed you?”
“N-no, that wasn’t it either.”
Damn, wrong again. Then why was he dismissed?
“One day, I d-discovered a serious issue with the machines. They were c-collecting personal information that should have been protected.”
“Personal information? But isn’t that something you also gathered with your magic?”
At Simone’s sharp question, Benini quickly clarified.
“I-I never collected personal information indiscriminately. I focused on broader data to c-calculate statistics. B-but the machines were different.”
His face darkened even more.
“T-they collected people’s personal data recklessly and used it freely. It became u-uncontrollable. I insisted that they b-be shut down. B-but the institute refused.”
“Ah….”
“I-instead, they fired me. To make sure I couldn’t cause trouble.”
“So you were unfairly dismissed….”
“O-on top of that, they threatened to use the information the machines gathered to expose my weaknesses.”
At this point, Mr. Benini was on the verge of tears.
“I… I can no longer trust humans. How could people side with machines and betray their own kind….”
Now, we fully understood Benini’s frustration.
He had merely pointed out a flaw, yet he was silenced by being fired and even threatened.
“W-what am I supposed to do now…?”
He muttered in despair.
We quickly exchanged glances.
If we didn’t resolve this issue for him, getting Antonio’s help would be nearly impossible.
So, what should we do?
“Did they find something to use against you?”
Simone asked.
Benini lowered his head.
“W-well, since I’ve already started talking… I may as well say everything. I am an i-illegitimate child of a noble. If this fact is exposed, my m-mother will be in trouble too.”
“Hmm….”
“So, what is it that you want, Mr. Benini? Do you seek revenge on the National Research Institute?”
Benini hesitantly nodded.
“I-I could find work elsewhere with my abilities. B-but I feel so stifled. It’s so unfair. And I’m terrified of how they might misuse this technology.”
Alright, now we had a clear idea of what needed to be done.
I flashed a bright smile at Benini and said.
“In that case, Mr. Benini, let’s do this.”
“H-huh?”
“We destroy the machines!”
“W-what?”
