Ozwell McCloud—one of the Cyclamen Cult’s executives known simply as the "Doctor"—sat in a high-backed chair within the Saubel Imperial Castle, brooding.
Not only is Gary dead, but the Farm is gone too. My entertainment options are dwindling... Now then, how shall I kill time?
"Doctor, the Emperor’s patience is finally reaching its breaking point."
The woman sharing the room with Ozwell—his twin sister, Lueria Inglot—called out to him with a look of exhaustion. Ozwell scowled as her voice pulled him back from the depths of his thoughts.
"How tedious... Can't you just handle him for me, Luella?"
"Give me a break. Every time I have to witness that old man's incompetence firsthand, I’m seized by the urge to slash him to death."
"How violent."
"Is the man who turned me into this really the one to talk?"
"When you put it that way, I suppose I haven't much of a rebuttal. Sigh... I guess I'll go soothe him. I’m not in the mood at all, though."
"—In that case, perhaps I could provide you with some information you might find more interesting?"
Ozwell’s motivation was in freefall, but just as he managed to scrape together enough energy to go visit the Emperor, the door swung open. A man stepped into the room and addressed him. It was Stieg Strom, the young man who had been entrusted with managing the Farm as the Doctor’s assistant.
"…You’ve got some nerve showing your face here, Stieg."
Ozwell’s eyes sharpened, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous register. In contrast, Stieg seemed entirely unbothered by the shift in atmosphere, maintaining his usual mask of innocent smiles.
"Regarding the Farm, that was an act of god. Even if I had stayed behind, I couldn’t have stopped the White Demon. Even if you had been there yourself, Doctor, would the result have been any different?"
"I know that. I'm just venting. So, what do you want?"
"I merely wished to offer my formal greetings."
"…Greetings?"
"Yes. I have recently been granted the title of 'Rasetsu' by Lady Beria. As I have officially joined the lowest rank of the Cyclamen Cult’s executives, I’ve been making my rounds to greet my peers."
"Hmph. How polite of you."
"I was told this is the first step in building what people call 'relationships.' Besides, even if it was unavoidable, I did cause you quite a bit of trouble with Gary’s disposal and the loss of the Farm. As an apology, please accept this."
Stieg pulled a sheet of paper from his storage magic tool and spread it across Ozwell’s desk so the contents were clearly visible.
"…A newspaper?"
Stieg had presented a copy of a paper published by Blanca, a news agency based in Tsutrail.
"Exactly. I thought this might be an article you’d find fascinating, so I went through the trouble of acquiring it."
Lueria, who had been silently observing the exchange from Ozwell’s side, scanned the article.
"—!"
She gasped, her eyes widening in a look that held more bewilderment than simple surprise. Ignoring her reaction, Ozwell skimmed the text himself.
"…Are you trying to tell me that Caroline is still alive?"
The article focused on the Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky’s Second Unit, an A-Rank Party. It went into significant detail regarding "Twilight Moonbow," mentioning the presence of the former Hero Luna and Sophia—sister to the S-Rank Explorer Selma—and noted that every single member of the party was a special ability user.
"Perish the thought. That girl is of no further use to us. Look closer—don't you see something far more intriguing? I would think a man of your expertise regarding special abilities would notice immediately."
Frowning at Stieg’s provocative tone, Ozwell reread the article with newfound focus.
"…Wait. Every member of Twilight Moonbow is a special ability user?"
Stieg’s smile widened.
"Indeed. And interestingly enough, the eastern region of the Nohitant Kingdom is known for having very deep ties with its surrounding nations."
In an instant, a new experiment began to take shape in Ozwell’s mind to stave off his boredom. Based on his own research, he had reached a singular conclusion regarding special abilities: Abilities and bloodlines are inextricably linked.
Furthermore, an ability typically manifests only once every few generations. When one person manifests an ability, it is virtually unheard of for their close relatives to manifest a separate, unique ability.
"I see, I see. I was wondering what to do with myself until the Cult begins its move in earnest. But this... this could be very entertaining indeed!"
"I’m glad you approve. What do you think? This move secures the success of the first stage of our plan while simultaneously bringing you one step closer to your personal goal, wouldn't you say?"
"…Yes, you're right. If this family possesses what I desire, then... oh, I simply must have them, no matter the cost!"
Ozwell listened to the devil's whisper, a dark, twisted grin spreading across his face as he began to envision the future.
Thank you for reading to the end of Part One!
Chapter Six begins here!
I’m planning to keep the pace brisk this chapter without too many detours! (lol)
One announcement: Volume 4 of the light novel was released recently! If you scroll down, you can find a link to the Amazon page via the cover image. I’ve made significant revisions and additions compared to the web version, so even those who have already read this far might find something new to enjoy!
Thank you for your continued support!