On the academy’s top floor, the headmaster’s office lay behind a set of heavy, imposing doors.
Princess Eliana sat inside, facing the academy’s leader.
"So, Princess, what are your thoughts regarding the timing of Hero Leon’s public announcement?"
Principal Galfried asked the question while stroking his thick, snow-white beard. Though he was a renowned mage well over a hundred years old, his posture was straight and his complexion healthy; he looked like a man in his sixties.
Eliana had come to the office to handle several pending matters, but this was the final topic he had raised.
The official announcement of Hero Candidate Leon.
It was a matter of extreme importance, not just for the kingdom, but for the entire continent. The fact that the Demon King’s resurrection was imminent was still being kept secret. To announce the appearance of a Hero—the Demon King’s conceptual opposite—was effectively the same as disclosing that the Great Evil had returned.
A Hero was a symbol of hope, but they were also the harbinger of despair.
Eliana answered without a moment’s hesitation.
"It is still premature. If he is to shoulder the hopes of the people as the Hero, he must possess a caliber of character to match. The burden is still too heavy for Leon. What is your opinion, Principal?"
"Ho ho ho, I am of the same mind. He is still but a chrysalis. Unless he tempers himself through rigorous training, he will never be able to dispel the fear the Demon King inspires."
Eliana agreed. Leon needed to become much stronger; the kingdom required him to be a figure who would inspire a roar of hope from the masses the moment his name was revealed. He needed to be someone capable of supporting all their wishes with his own body.
This was a conclusion she had reached long ago.
And yet—
Eliana was painfully aware that recent events had begun to introduce impurities into her conviction. Even now, she found herself envisioning a scene burned into her retinas: the radiance of that vivid Lightning Bolt unleashed by a certain problem child.
I wonder why I can’t stop thinking about Albert’s magic.
Albert von Kronstadt, the Worst Scion.
Despite his reputation, Eliana found herself imagining a future where Albert stood alongside Leon to overthrow the Demon King. No—perhaps it was even more than that.
He might even be the one to defeat the Demon King himself.
The thought crossed her mind, as ridiculous as it was. To shift her expectations from the destined Hero to someone like Albert seemed absurd. Yet, she couldn't dismiss the idea as mere nonsense.
In the end, it didn't strictly matter if the one who killed the Demon King and saved humanity was the Hero or not.
Albert was an uncertain factor, a chaotic element who was messily rewriting the predestined path of the confrontation between Hero Leon and the Demon King.
I need to determine exactly who he is and what he intends to achieve, she resolved.
Ever since I found that Ancient Magic Book Candidate, I had practically moved into the central library, immersing myself in its deciphering.
I had spent days doing nothing but reading. The more time passed and the more pages I turned, the deeper my conviction grew.
There was no doubt about it—this was the Second Magic Book.
I had struggled with the first volume back at House Kronstadt, but now that I had the benefit of experience and training, I could decode this one ten times faster. Based on what I had found, it likely contained ancient spells regarding Memory Manipulation and Mind Interference.
In the original game, the ancient magic obtained in this library acted on the minds of enemy monsters, so this was almost certainly the same thing.
A mental interference system, huh?
In a game world, the value of magic is measured only by its combat performance, but in the real world, its applications are vast. If I could master this, I could skip a lot of annoying hurdles.
Maybe I could just erase the memory of my existence from the minds of all those death flag characters. If I did that, I could finally have the quiet life I wanted. They wouldn't have any reason to remember me anyway, so everyone would be happy.
As I was lost in these thoughts, someone spoke to me.
"Hey, Albert-kun. Are you free for a bit?"
I looked up to see Silvia, her silver hair shimmering and her blue eyes sparkling.
"Go away," I said bluntly before returning to my book.
Ignoring my dismissal, Silvia sat down across from me without the slightest hesitation.
"Yoo-hoo, Albert-kun? Are you free?"
"Use your eyes. I’m studying. And be quiet, this is a library."
"(Can you hear me... I am calling out directly to your brain...)"
"Just because you said the parentheses out loud doesn't make it okay!"
"So strict!" Silvia laughed. She propped her elbow on the table and rested her head on the back of her hand, giving me a coy, sidelong look. "How cold. And here I am, a beautiful girl trying to talk to you."
"Sorry, but your charm is significantly lower than this book’s."
"How mean!"
Silvia acted indignant, but I had no intention of taking it back. Nothing was more charming than a magic book containing the secrets of the ultimate Ancient Magic. Every second was precious. I wanted to spend every possible moment reading this tome and uncovering the hidden techniques within.
I fixed my gaze on her.
"You saw what happened to Victor, didn't you? That’s right—I’m a cruel, good-for-nothing villainous noble. If you've figured that out, then hurry up and disappear. I only do what I want to do."
"Hmm, is that so? But hey, you finally looked me in the eye." Silvia gave a mischievous grin and said something utterly ridiculous. "Hey, I’m bored. Want to go on a date?"
...
......
Good grief. If there is a God, please ensure that the people you place in front of me possess basic reading comprehension skills.
"Maybe I’m just stupid, because I can’t follow the logic of this conversation at all."
"I’m an international student, so I don't know the Royal Capital very well yet. Won't you show me around?"
"I refuse—"
Just as I was about to shut her down, I remembered something. This development had happened in the original game. Silvia would invite someone on a date. However, her target was supposed to be the protagonist, Hero Leon.
Why was she asking me? Was an event meant for Leon targeting me instead?
"Invite Leon or something."
"Ah, Leon-kun... By the way, why did you tell me to invite him? Do you know something about him?"
"..."
That was a slip of the tongue. It was the same pattern as before when she had teased him. There was no reason for me to specifically bring up a humble commoner with average grades like Leon.
"Well, you already know I’m a princess, so I guess it’s not that strange that you're observant," Silvia said, seemingly satisfied with her own reasoning. She continued, "So, how about it? You get to hang out with a beautiful girl, you hormonal teenage boy. Besides, I’m feeling a bit homesick and lonely, so you might even have a 'chance'?"
"Go home."
I shot her down instantly.
"There’s no merit in it for me. I’m busy reading this."
"Then I’ll offer you a merit," Silvia said, her voice dropping an octave. "If you come to my country, I’ll let you take a look inside the Royal Family's Treasured Library. How about that?"
"Oh...?"
Now she had my attention. If I recalled correctly, there was supposed to be Ancient Magic sealed within the archives managed by the Royal House of Osterreich. A connection with a member of the royal family would be invaluable. My time was precious now, but a future investment was just as important.
I closed the magic book.
"Very well. I’ll keep you company."
"Ahaha, yes!" Silvia cheered, her smile wide and triumphant.