Despite being heavily struck by Touko Aozaki and the El-Melloi Classroom, Atrum Galliasta quickly recovered. After Waver Velvet's deduction show ended, he arrogantly made a declaration:
"Although the Bloodstained linden leaf is destroyed, it doesn't mean I can't find another relic. I've already prepared an alternative plan—if I can't summon a dragon slayer, I'll summon a hero who can use dragons instead. Though the class isn't quite satisfactory."
When Lorelei Bartholomei considered Atrum's alternative plan and compared it with the box in Shinji Matou's hand, she unexpectedly felt a bit of sympathy for the overconfident magus.
A hero who uses dragons versus Siegfried, the pinnacle of dragon slayers—wasn't this a death wish?
"As I said, you are the biggest winner."
Lorelei repeated herself.
In response, Shinji merely chuckled.
Lorelei assumed he was gloating, unaware that the young man before her had already secretly sentenced Atrum to death.
All he needed to know was that Atrum was targeting Medea's relic. That was enough.
As for Siegfried, Shinji had no intention of summoning him for the time being. Although powerful, Siegfried paled in comparison to Shinji's planned summons of Scáthach, Karna, or a fully enhanced Artoria. He would keep Siegfried in reserve, only to be used in case of an unforeseen situation.
The Incident was just a minor episode. Neither Lorelei nor Shinji paid much attention to Atrum or the Galliasta family behind him. What concerned Lorelei more was the effect of using the Bloodstained linden leaf as a catalyst.
"Because such a precious catalyst was used, will the fake Golden Princess be more beautiful than the real one?"
"That's only one reason. Besides, there's the Grand Puppeteer's skill, and most importantly—the idea that those who witness beauty themselves become more beautiful."
This isn't some idealistic philosophy but rather a magical definition of beauty. It's also a concept in Valualeta's creation department. Lorelei, who has long been in a subtle rivalry with Valualeta, knows this well.
The Art of Beauty is a form of sympathetic magecraft, wherein the act of appreciating beauty purifies the observer's soul and spirit. This is the true essence of beauty. The ultimate form of beauty could even elevate the observer to a higher dimension.
This observation must be direct, seen with one's own eyes. Any indirect methods, including mirrors, diminish beauty. The mutual reflection and sublimation of the Golden Princess and the Silver Princess are based on this principle.
"But, the Golden Princess cannot see her face, nor can the Silver Princess. So, when the mutual reflection reaches its limit, a third person must be introduced. This is what Carina meant when she said Lord Byron went down the wrong path."
"Indeed."
Shinji affirmed Lorelei's analysis.
"Of course, Lord Byron, anxious about the upcoming debut ball, didn't know this. He was only desperate to fill the void left by the loss of the Golden Princess. Even so, the technique was established with the inclusion of a third person. The maid Carina, who had always been watching the Golden and Silver Princesses, also attained beauty, and even surpassed them."
Originally, the technique stabilized with the presence of the paired Golden and Silver Princesses. But the decisive change occurred when Carina, who could rival the two and had undergone an internal transformation from constantly watching them, joined. Although only for a brief period, Carina indeed came very close to reaching the Root.
As the implementer of the Cinderella Technique, Touko Aozaki had foreseen this possibility from the start. How could someone with such a passion for higher forms of beauty be satisfied with mere cosmetic surgery? Using the Bloodstained linden leaf as a catalyst was aimed at achieving a higher level of beauty. Although she lost her memory after the technique was completed and was used by the Silver Princess for her curiosity, anyone in her position would be dissatisfied. Touko was no exception, and after hearing Waver's reasoning, she immediately sold out her client—well, it was a form of revenge for being tricked first.
As for why the completion of the Silver Princess Estella did not improve, the reason is simple—because the Silver Princess couldn't see. Her reflection with the Golden Princess was due to the unique nature of the spirit land where Iselma was located, combined with years of adjustments and synchronization. The sudden addition of Carina did not affect her.
However, because the Silver Princess was already of high completion and the Golden Princess made a shocking first appearance, most magi overlooked this detail. Only Shinji, Waver, Touko, and Lord Valualeta noticed. Lord Valualeta also allowed Atrum's intrusion, partly because she needed to uncover what Byron was desperately trying to hide.
As a result, Atrum was defeated. Lord Valualeta achieved her goal, but she was also implicated in the scandal. Byron not only failed to gain anything but also lost more. He was imprisoned, his territory was frozen, and the pursuit of beauty by his family was entirely cut off. Even though the magic crest remains, Iselma faces an inevitable decline.
While this outcome benefited the Department of Policies, Lorelei still noticed some suspicious points.
"Where did Byron get the money to bid on the Bloodstained linden leaf? Even among the lordly families, few can match the liquidity of the Galliasta family."
"How did Byron manage to contact the elusive Touko Aozaki?"
"Was the idea to use a decoy Byron's own?"
"And going further, did Touko Aozaki modify the technique to elevate beauty to a higher level by recognizing the potential of the Trinity? Was this truly an accident?"
Shinji couldn't answer these questions because the original story didn't provide answers. Byron, the only one who might know the truth, had lost his memory due to a similar memory interference as Touko, a clear sign of the mastermind's secrecy.
Shinji once suspected the Department of Policies was behind it. They had both the motive and capability to implement such a plan and enough knowledge about Touko. However, Lorelei's reaction made him reconsider this suspicion.
It wasn't the Department of Policies, at least not Lorelei's faction. If it had been, there would have been no need for her to send Shinji to confront him. Moreover, such a meticulous conspiracy didn't align with Lorelei's usual style. She prefers overt strategies and confrontation.
"It seems there's a deeply hidden undercurrent in the Clock Tower."
The Queen and the Dark Hand clenched their fists simultaneously as if they could hear the ominous laughter echoing from afar.