Volsea and I stood on the library roof, two figures pulling strings from the wings of the stage.
"Are you weighing the school's facilities against the students' peace of mind, Headmaster?" I asked.
"I’ll bill the repair costs to House Brave," he replied.
"Please send the bill to House Oldwood instead."
"Is Alicia not under the care of House Brave?"
"Fair point. I’ll be more careful from now on."
Once he framed it like that, I didn't have a leg to stand on. I supposed I should quit trashing the place on purpose.
"But if I’m there in the thick of it, things are bound to get messy, aren't they?"
"I expect they would."
Don't just give me an "I expect they would." I had no intention of standing on the front lines when I knew it would only complicate matters.
"Even if I were right in front of them, what exactly could I do?"
This wasn’t my battlefield. It was Alicia’s, and I was perfectly content remaining in the shadows of the wings. What good would it do to step onto her stage while drenched in blood spray?
"Being a stagehand suits me just fine."
I was an existence that wasn’t supposed to be here in the first place, so staying hidden was for the best. I had to keep the boundaries clear from the start. Once things started mixing, there’d be no turning back.
"You are a student of this Academy," Volsea said. "You have the right to enjoy your youth."
"Sure."
I felt like I was enjoying my youth plenty as it was.
"Did you enroll having already given up from the start?"
"..."
At Volsea’s piercing words, my killing intent leaked out despite myself. Had I given up? Not a chance. I hadn’t given up on this second piece-of-shit life. In the grand scheme of things, this was only three years. If I could just spend a mere three years in peace, that was all I needed.
"The one you wish to protect is likely not as weak as she once was."
"Could you stop talking like you can see through everything?"
"I see only what is there. But tell me, what do you gain by damming up the flow?"
He was being entirely too serious. Gravity radiated from the old man in front of me; my usual snark was completely ineffective. I almost wanted to inject him with some of Sebas's dry wit just to lighten the mood.
"If the current you’ve dammed up eventually breaks, the one swallowed by that muddy torrent will be the very person you were trying to protect."
"If you have something to say, say it clearly. That’s the Brave way."
If the dam was going to burst, I’d just dry up the river beforehand. Or I could always just choose to walk away from a dam that was about to break. Flexibility was key in situations like this.
"Have you forgotten the pride of the Brave family since coming to the Royal Capital—?"
"—I wouldn't provoke me so carelessly if I were you."
I halted my fist inches from Volsea’s face. A heavy thump echoed as the shockwave tore through the air behind him. I stared down the Headmaster, who hadn't even blinked.
"I’m playing this role because it’s what I want," I told him. "But if anything ever endangers Alicia, I won't show any mercy. I don’t care if it’s inside your little miniature garden or not."
"If that is your resolve, then show me."
"Seriously, what is your deal today? If you have something to say, spit it out. If not, I have questions of my own."
"Ho? And what would those be?"
He leisurely stroked his beard, his heavy aura fading slightly. I wished he’d stop with the "enigmatic mentor" act; it was just annoying.
"I want to know about the Sage's Disciple, Patricia Kindred. Her parents, her past, her social circle, her specialty magic—everything."
Monitoring her movements at the Academy had yielded nothing but her name. She was in a Mob Class, separate from mine. In the classroom, she was quiet and unassuming, seemingly deaf to the snide remarks from the surrounding nobles.
Once classes ended, she was either with Edward or one of the other Capture Targets. While she prioritized Edward, she was a Heroine through and through, dutifully building her rapport with the other handsome guys whenever she had a spare moment.
Since she also hit every city event script, she was almost certainly a Reincarnator like me, and her goal was clearly a Reverse Harem Ending. Beyond that, however, she was a total mystery. The name House Kindred didn't exist in my memories, and finding her home in a capital with over a million people was a needle in a haystack. Unlike Mariana, she lived in the Dormitory, which made tracking her movements harder.
I figured Headmaster Volsea would have access to the students' personal files, so I decided to test him. If he hid the truth, I’d have to consider him a potential enemy.
"That is quite a list," Volsea said. "You should narrow it down to one question."
"...What’s the catch?"
God, he was roundabout.
"Hmm. If you agree to protect Mariana Ocean as well, I shall answer one thing. I swear upon the Cascade pride that there shall be no falsehoods."
Was that it? Mariana was an important friend to Alicia, and a keyman for future scenarios. I was going to protect her anyway.
"Fine. Will you answer anything?"
I wondered if he knew Alicia's measurements. If he did, I’d officially mark him as a target.
"Be quick about it."
What an impatient old man. It was almost a waste of time to follow his lead and ask about Patricia Kindred. He gave off the vibe of an omniscient guide character, but I still wasn't sure what his game was.
To be honest, I only wanted information on Patricia out of caution; I wasn't particularly interested in her. Based on Mariana’s story, she’d likely come to this Academy with the backing of House Ignite. It was obvious given how Mariana had been systematically kept away from the Academy during key game events. Even for a klutz, boarding the wrong stagecoach every single time an event was supposed to trigger was too perfect; switching out public transport was a move only someone with power could make.
Given that the men who came to the Brave Territory were Ignite agents, it was a safe bet she was their puppet. House Ignite had no daughters of their own. If she promised them she could seduce Prince Edward in exchange for their support, it was a perfect transaction.
But one question remained: how did a commoner even make contact with a Ducal house? The Heroine and Edward met as children in the original game, but even if she’d been plotting since then, a child's words usually aren't taken seriously. Even if they had listened, would the cunning House Ignite really give her enough freedom to build a reverse harem? If anything went wrong, Ignite's reputation would be the one on the line.
Their goal wasn't just a romance... but I still didn't know what it actually was.
"Nothing else?" Volsea prodded.
"Yeah, yeah." I snapped out of my thoughts. He was rushing me, so I decided to pivot. "What is House Ignite's true objective?"
"I haven't the slightest idea."
"Are you kidding me?"
What happened to the "all-knowing" atmosphere? I nearly slipped off the roof in frustration.
"I thought you wished to know about Patricia Kindred? I do not know what you suspect, but she did not enter this school through backroom deals. She was admitted because she proved her worth in the entrance examinations."
"I see."
Whose side was this guy on, anyway?
"Is that the end of your inquiries?"
"Since that wasn't an answer, I'm counting it as a freebie."
"Then be quick. Lunch break is nearly over. I will not have you skipping class. You do so far too often; do not forget your duty as a student."
"Right, right."
Maybe he was just being a meddlesome teacher. Since he could only tell me what he actually knew, I went with the one thing that had been bothering me.
"Then, why did you support Mariana and have her enroll?"
And why make me promise to protect her? If he believed in fate, and if this was the center of the story's storm, why did he go out of his way to drag a girl who had been cast aside back onto the stage?
At my question, Volsea’s brow furrowed for a fleeting moment.