On the morning of the Supreme Council meeting, Monica visited Lana's room.
"It's finally here. Have you been getting enough sleep and food?"
Monica nodded firmly at the rolled-up-sleeved Lana.
During the preparation period before the Supreme Council, Isabelle and Agatha had strictly managed Monica's diet and sleep schedule.
Agatha's efficiency in forcibly dragging Monica away from her work on the Black Chalice and putting her to bed was impressive enough to earn everyone's admiration.
Thanks to them, Monica could face the Supreme Council in top condition.
To attire Monica appropriately as one of the Seven Sages, Lana had prepared cosmetics, corsets, and other accessories.
First, Lana had Monica wear a corset.
Unlike the one worn under her dress at the school festival's dance, it lacked the boning to flare out the skirt… but the thick chest padding was extraordinary, meant to give her upper body more volume.
Over this, she would wear the robe exclusive to the Seven Sages, which had also been extensively modified.
The robe given to Monica two years ago was made slightly larger in anticipation of her growth. However, since she had barely grown in these two years, the robe now dragged on the floor.
Declaring that such an oversized robe lacked dignity, Lana had the hem altered by a tailor to accentuate Monica's figure.
After changing into the tailored robe, it was time for makeup——different from what Monica had worn at the chess tournament or school festival.
On Monica's youthful face with round eyes, a small nose and mouth, Lana swiftly applied makeup.
Her eyes looked sharper and more intelligent. Her brows were dignified. Her lips were refined.
"…Today will be the last time you do my makeup for me, huh?"
As Monica muttered while having her lips rouged, Lana pursed her own lips tightly.
"You're not attending the graduation ceremony?"
"I probably… won't be able to."
Whether their mission succeeded or failed, once everything was over, Monica Norton would have to leave Serendia Academy.
Not only next year's school festival, but she would be unable to attend even the graduation party happening soon.
However, Lana snorted through her nose and looked straight at Monica.
"It's just makeup though. Call me anytime, and I'll do it for you… We're friends, after all."
Monica blushed slightly and nodded at Lana's added remark. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ nοvelfire.net
"…Yeah. But, I'll try to learn it myself… how to do… my own makeup too."
"When I start my own company, I plan to sell cosmetics too. Use our products then… I'll teach you how to use them properly."
Monica smiled wryly at Lana's usual assertive tone.
Even after learning Monica's true identity, Lana still treated her as a friend. Feeling grateful for this, Monica had to resist the urge to cry.
No, I can't cry or my makeup will be ruined.
Suppressing her welling tears, Monica held out a white rose hair ornament to Lana, who was preparing to style her hair.
"Um, could you… put this on for me?"
Lana examined the ornament and smiled warmly.
"Ah, this is from the school festival… I see, I see…"
"Yup, leave it to me. I'll make you look absolutely lovely."
Not understanding the reason for Lana's sly grin, Monica tilted her head and showed her another accessory she had brought.
"Also, I want to wear this too…"
Lana's eyes widened at the accessory Monica presented.
It was probably surprising since Monica had never brought anything other than the hair ornament before.
"What a lovely necklace. A gift?"
"…Yeah, from an important friend. I never had the courage to wear it before, but…"
In Monica's hand swung a delicately designed necklace.
Dangling from the thin chain was a peridot stone closely resembling the color of Monica's eyes.
"I feel like, it was meant for this very moment."
Cradling his weeping daughter Leonora, Louis Miller felt utterly helpless.
Despite thoroughly studying how to hold her comfortably, the adorable Leonora was scrunching up her face and screaming at the top of her lungs.
She had drunk plenty of milk and had her diaper changed just moments ago, appearing quite content until Louis picked her up, at which point she started bawling.
When Louis silently offered Leonora to Lynn, she immediately stopped crying the moment Lynn took her in her arms.
"Why does she cry like the world is ending whenever I hold her?"
"Perhaps to her, you resemble an evil demon king bent on destroying the world."
Louis wanted to protest, but his wife Rosalie was sleep-deprived from Leonora's night wakings and had just laid down for a nap. If he made Leonora cry further, it would disturb Rosalie's rest.
Weighing his fatherly stubbornness against consideration for his wife, Louis ultimately gave up on holding Leonora today.
"Sir Louis, it's about time for you to leave. The carriage is waiting outside."
"If only I could fly there with magic, this would be so much less troublesome."
Before becoming one of the Seven Sages, when Louis was still a captain in the magic corps, he often used flight magic to travel to the castle.
It wasn't that far of a straight flight, and certainly faster than taking a carriage.
However, as one of the Seven Sages, he was required to travel by carriage except in emergencies.
Moreover, today was the Supreme Council meeting where the nation's top authorities would gather. Naturally, he had to maintain proper decorum.
"Well then, I'll be off. Don't wait for me to have dinner. I'll be late returning."
"Yes. Have a safe trip."
Louis waved reluctantly at Leonora as he boarded the carriage.
A young coachman wearing a hat closed the door and set the carriage in motion.
With nothing to occupy his hands, Louis rested his cheek on his fist and contemplated today's council meeting.
The trial of the criminal impersonating the Second Prince——indeed, that youth was certainly an imposter.
However, if Louis's deductions were correct, the real and fake princes had been swapped not recently, but ten years ago. And that swap had been orchestrated by Duke Crockford…
Louis was almost certain of this but regrettably lacked proof.
The cunning Duke Crockford had undoubtedly destroyed all evidence.
…In that case, I have no choice but to accept the Duke's claims this time.
Being outmaneuvered was infuriating. Yet Duke Crockford would also suffer a significant blow by having to relinquish the highly valuable Second Prince.
Going forward, the Duke would likely forcefully install the Third Prince as the next king. However, compared to the Second Prince, the Third was younger and lacked notable achievements.
The succession struggle would only become more chaotic from here.
As Louis pondered how to counter Duke Crockford, he looked out the window and frowned slightly.
The scenery outside looked different from the usual route.
Louis called out to the coachman's back.
"Isn't this a different path than usual?"
"Aye, the regular route's blocked by a stray cow, so we've no choice but to take the long way 'round today."
Of all the inopportune times for this to happen.
Still, they had ample time, and if they absolutely couldn't make it, Louis could always use flight magic. He quickly came to this conclusion.
However, his thoughts began to change as he observed the passing scenery.
The carriage gradually left the town, entering a sparsely populated forest. While a detour, they could likely reach the castle by cutting through this forest.
But why choose the forest route when other detours were available?
The coachman showed no sign of stopping.
Louis pointed his staff at the back of the coachman's neck and issued a low command.
The coachman finally halted the carriage.
At that moment, the surrounding atmosphere changed drastically——a vast mana pressure spreading out.
A barrier meant for a magic duel had just been erected around this forest.
This is… a magic duel barrier?
As Louis's awareness was drawn to the barrier enveloping the forest, the coachman snapped his fingers. Simultaneously, a flaming arrow soared straight at Louis. There was no time to chant a defensive barrier.
Louis swiftly leaped from the carriage, evading the flaming arrow. Then a massive fireball came hurtling from another direction.
The flaming arrow and fireball had been cast by separate individuals, Louis calmly deduced as he chanted an abbreviated defensive barrier.
Having started the chant while leaping from the carriage, Louis managed to properly deflect the fireball with his barrier.
Though the barrier had cracked from that single fireball strike.
Louis's hasty defensive barrier had been cast through an abbreviated chant.
Yet it was a barrier raised by the Barrier Magician, renowned for formidable defenses. It should not have cracked from such an ordinary spell.
Louis rose to his feet, brushing off his soiled clothes, and spoke.
"If you come out and beg for your lives right now, I'll show mercy by merely tying you up and dangling you upside-down from the mansion's roof… Glenn."
Louis's sharp ears did not miss the faint "Hiiih!" voice.
Towards the bush from where the sound had come, Louis mercilessly fired a lightning bolt.
However, a defensive barrier immediately blocked Louis's attack spell.
The one who had raised the barrier was the coachman——a lanky man with long, spindly limbs. Discarding his hat revealed short red hair.
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, your stealth skills are too poor to even mention."
"Sh-Shut up! I just let out a tiny noise!"
Emerging noisily from the bushes was Louis's disciple, Glenn Dudley.
And the red-haired man disguised as the coachman… though unfamiliar, Louis recognized him as the one who had fought Glenn in a magic duel at Serendia Academy——Hubert Dee.
Why had Hubert, posing as a coachman, brought Louis to this forest? Why had Glenn attacked him?
While puzzling over these questions, observing the magic duel barrier erected across the entire forest made the mastermind obvious.
"Such an intricate barrier… I see, the work of the Silent Witch, huh."
Glenn's face visibly tensed, making his foolishness apparent.
Louis graced his idiotic disciple with a beautiful smile.
"Now then, you two. Are you prepared to kneel, beg for your lives, and confess everything?"
Speaking with a gentle, priestlike voice while exuding murderous intent, Louis caused Glenn to audibly gulp.
"M-Master… I-I won't let you pass here! This is a challenge!"
Beside the shouting Glenn, Hubert grinned gleefully.
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, I wonder if you can entertain me for a while, Lord Barrier Magician."
Facing the two defiant youths, Louis sighed wearily and slowly shook his head.
"What a predicament. I don't have a habit of bullying the weak, so…"
——This does not constitute bullying the weak.
Louis flicked his braided chestnut hair behind his back and tapped his shoulder with his staff.
His ashen violet eyes, visible through his monocle, glared at Glenn and Hubert as a vicious grin spread across his exquisite features that could captivate anyone.
The mouth that usually wove elegant words licked its lips and issued a low growl.
"It's time for punishment, you brats."