Tick-tock── tick-tock── Time passed, two weeks into detainment. Without my knowledge, a prison letter written by Pexi had been taken out. How I found out was because Jun threw a fucking fit over the phone. He poured out every ounce of sarcasm a noble could muster, and I calmly listened. It meant someone inside the Knight Order had helped her, but that kind of petty sympathy wasn’t something I could control. It wasn’t like I could stay at the Knight Order around the clock. Tick-tock── tick-tock── While waiting for the deadline, I sold off some shares in Canilan. At the same time, I steadily saved money without unnecessary expenses. Dieter established a new corporation in Canilan to facilitate smooth investment. There was still quite some time left before the bubble would burst, but it was necessary to prepare in advance. “Sir Knight. Someone claiming to be the family physician from the Kandel family has come to see you.” At the administrative officer’s words, I looked up from the documents. “Let him in.” “Yes.” Soon, a middle-aged man entered the office. It was an unfamiliar face, but he handed me a document stating he was the Kandel family’s physician and a graduate of the ‘Imperial Medical Academy’. Forging an identity with ‘Imperial’ in the title would be high treason. So, he had to be a legitimate physician. “What brings you here?” “Yes. It’s about the chronic illness of Wizard Pexi von Arzen. I’ve brought her medical records from the hospital she regularly visited. Please verify them and permit the treatment.” He set down a medical bag at his feet. “According to the medical records, Wizard Pexi suffers from a rare congenital disorder in which her mana circuits are unstable. If she doesn’t receive periodic doses of mana stabilizers, she may suffer seizures.” Medical bag. “If she remains in confinement like now, it could be extremely dangerous.” Medical bag. I quietly stared at that neatly rectangular bag and then shook my head. “I will decline.” The physician’s expression hardened. “......Must you go this far? You need to save lives. If something happens to Wizard Pexi, the Magic Tower won’t take it lightly either.” I stared directly at the physician. More than anything else, his medical bag was bothering me. It was because of what Ezell had said. ‘There’s a poison that coagulates both blood and mana. The side effect of the 「Chimera Brain」 occurs as uncontrollable mana turbulence in the body, but if this poison is used, the mana itself stagnates.......’ Is this doctor really someone sent by Jun Kandel? Or maybe... “I should ask you that question instead. Must you go this far, Doctor?” “......Excuse me? What exactly are you trying to say?” The doctor furrowed his brow. I took out the longsword I had stored beneath the chair and placed it on the desk. Thud! The hunk of metal, tempered with mana, landed heavily. The old longsword of Ebenholtz, of unknown origin, looked quite destructive in appearance alone. “.......” The doctor said nothing, trying to maintain his composure. I looked into his eyes and spoke. “Let me ask. What’s inside that bag?” The doctor’s face twitched. A heavy heartbeat reached even me. This man is a doctor. A real doctor who has done nothing else. People who lack skill in psychological warfare inevitably reveal themselves like this. “It probably isn’t a common poison. Each component may be harmless on its own, but when combined, it becomes a lethal concoction of poisonous herbs.” If one dies with blood and mana coagulated together, there will be no evidence left in the 「Chimera Brain」. The Kandel family, especially the younger sibling, had already completed an investigation into the 「Chimera Brain」 and had attempted to directly eliminate the evidence. Of course, from their side, they couldn’t be certain if Pexi was a brain-eater, but if she died, it would benefit Kandel and be a loss to me. “But Jun Kandel wouldn’t try to kill her himself.......” The doctor’s pupils trembled. Sonnet Kandel. Claims to be a ‘literary figure’ rather than a knight or a wizard, but is effectively the core of the Kandel family. “It must be on the orders of Lord Mateus.” Mateus is Jun’s father. I deliberately concealed my thoughts about Sonnet. There was no need to draw unnecessary suspicion by acting like I knew her. “.......” The doctor glared at me. I gave him a reassuring smile. He really could relax. “There’s no need for this. Do you think I would go so far as to make an enemy of the great Kandel family over a single woman?” The tense atmosphere slightly eased. “I detained Pexi von Arzen because I believe it’s the right thing to do. So, please pass along my message.” I picked up the longsword again and gently leaned it beside the desk. “Even if Pexi’s identity is exposed, I will extend the utmost consideration to Jun.” I don’t care about Jun. Whether he dies walking down the street or gets struck by lightning and goes bald, it’s none of my business. However, Sonnet is important. I will make her owe me a debt. She is someone who remembers favors and grudges precisely. She returns what she receives and pays back what she suffers. That is both her talent and her limitation. “This is a promise in the name of Ebenholtz.” *** Kandel's main estate. The family physician Dominic bowed his head. “I’m sorry.” “It’s alright.” Sonnet waved her hand. Dominic, after all, is not a knight, nor is he a specially trained agent. He is Kandel’s actual family doctor, allowed access to the Knight Order. “I was worried, but I’m glad you came back alive. However, you even brought the bag back?” Sonnet pointed at the physician’s medical bag. Maximilian could have confiscated that bag and kept it as evidence, but he didn’t bother. He let the man go peacefully, along with a certain “promise”. “He said it was out of respect for the Kandel family...” Sonnet quietly drew in a breath. Jun is an emotional and outward-facing person. He is very outgoing and enjoys socializing. Accordingly, he is handsome and well-built. That’s why Sonnet had hidden behind her brother, collecting information, and used it to build influence in the Imperial Guard, the Intelligence Bureau, the Underground City, and various other sectors. However, it seemed that the information about Maximilian was significantly mistaken. Had Maximilian deliberately shown only his weaknesses to Jun? Or was Jun simply unwilling to acknowledge him because of his own pride? “Yes. Let’s give up on Pexi now.” “But will Lord Jun really let that go...?” “It’s fine. Just say we treated her secretly. He’ll believe it. But in return.” Sonnet continued. "Ask Knight Maximilian for observation the day before. He'll probably allow it." If that woman named Pexi truly is the criminal who used the 「Chimera Brain」... “My brother is a frustrating person, but he's more cold-hearted than one might think. He’s very sensitive too, given his strong aesthetic sense. So...” He would never be able to endure the sight of her body melting and mutating. *** Tick-tock── tick-tock── Three weeks into detainment. I had removed all the clocks from the mansion. These days, I was sick of anything that made ticking sounds. “It’s been a while.” Lorenzo came back up again from southern Hermes. “Yes. The Kitten is complete. I just made a few tweaks to Arman’s blueprint.” He handed over Arman’s pickaxe invention. Shaped somewhat like a flanged mace, the item, codenamed “Kitten” was a new mana stone mining tool. “First, it wraps protruding mana stones in a protective chain to extend their lifespan, and we’ve engraved mana circuits into the handle, reducing the overall cost to less than half.” I picked up the Kitten with one hand. Indeed, Lorenzo wasn’t perfect either. Scholars sometimes focused too much on the function of a product. “It’s good. But I think the handle needs to be more ergonomic. So that miners can swing it more easily, with less effort.” Ergonomics became a key theme after the New Cabinet came into power. They promoted, almost propagandistically, that as work became easier, the environment improved, and rest was provided, efficiency increased significantly. And in practice, it was true. “Aha. That makes sense. I’ll revise that part.” “What’s the production cost?” “It’s about 40,000 dollars per unit, roughly ten times that of a regular pickaxe. However, it raises the mana stone extraction purity by an average of 20 percent. With a 70% purity vein, conventional pickaxes result in losses, yielding stones of only 50 to 60% purity, but this ‘Kitten’ can extract them intact at 70% or higher purity.” The efficiency more than made up for the cost. “Also, I’ve been thinking more about the 「Aura Sphere」. If we engrave an appropriate carving into a high-purity mana stone, it seems we can amplify its effects.” “You mean Mana Carving?” “Yes. We create a ‘path’ in advance within a high-purity mana stone that amplifies the 「Aura Sphere」. Essentially, a mana stone exclusively for 「Aura Sphere」. According to my calculations, a cube-shaped carving is the most stable and efficient.” I nodded. “Very well. What’s the process?” “First, we need to recruit a carver and establish a dedicated workshop. The initial investment would be, well... around five million dollars...” Lorenzo hesitated as he mentioned the large sum. It seemed he was still haunted by the financial struggles from his university days. “It doesn’t matter. Tell Dieter. He’ll provide all of it.” “...Yes. Thank you.” Lorenzo’s face brightened. As he turned cheerfully, even the way he leaned on his cane seemed sprightly. It was a pleasant sight, the old scholar finally able to spread his wings fully. Tick-tock── tick-tock── Four weeks into detainment. I looked over the list of articles Alphonso from the Jemion Daily had written so far. 1. Steel Heart Heavy Industries: Blast furnace explosion due to lack of safety equipment, evading responsibility 2. Blue Crystal Corporation: Victims of mana dust poisoning, refusal to compensate 3. Golden Grain: Mass illness among nearby residents due to wastewater discharge, denying causality... There were so many. As I underlined the names of these companies with a red pen, a thought crossed my mind. “These filthy bastards have better technology than I expected.” In that case, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for me to take it myself. The Imperial Guard seized companies for personal gain, but I am different from them. I have a cause. “......” After thinking it over, I picked up the terminal and called Dieter. “Dieter.” ─Yes. “I’ll send you a list of companies soon. Dig through all of them. If they’re worthwhile, consider extracting their key patents and research personnel.” ─Understood. Receiving “special training” from Enzi at the main estate every day, Dieter was gradually becoming a complete asset. Tick-tock── tick-tock── Thirty days into detainment. Throughout this past week, I had my administrative officers monitor Pexi. I was worried she might reveal her true nature or that some knight, fooled by her act, might open the door. Pexi’s condition worsened by the day, but she endured stubbornly. ...To be honest. To be completely honest, I was uneasy. I’m just human too. While I’m certain she’s a brain-eater, if she somehow endured the entire detention period? ─It’s fine. At the knight order's back garden. Ezell replied confidently over the phone. “What’s your basis?” ─The margin of error I calculated assumes no external variables. But in a prolonged state of confinement like this, she would be far more sensitive to mana. The moment she’s exposed to even a trace of high-concentration mana waves... Ezell’s explanation was as follows. The 「Chimera Brain」 is a magic that consumes others’ brain energy and takes over their body. But the victim’s brain energy doesn’t completely disappear, it remains inside the predator’s brain. Because that mana attacks the predator’s mind, they must continually consume brain energy. If, in this weakened state, external mana were to interfere? ─...You know what would happen, don’t you? So take two ultra-high-purity mana stones and rub them together. At least 98% purity, and each worth more than 500,000 dollars. That level of mana wave should be enough. I heard you’ve been making money from mana stone mining. “Seems the rumors are starting to spread?” ─Consider how you spend. Ultra-high-purity mana stones, those over 98%, emit a very clear and pure mana wave just by being rubbed together. “Anyway, got it.” ─Yeah. Were you nervous? “...Of course I was. If this works, I get to become a star knight.” ─Don’t worry~ Worst case, if it fails, we can just move to the countryside and live together, the two of us. I smiled. It was a charming ending in its own way, but unfortunately, if I were to leave, even the countryside wouldn’t be allowed for us. “Thanks. I’m hanging up.” Tick-tock── tick-tock── Thirty-four days into detainment. When only a few hours remained of the knight's authorized ‘35-day’ period, Jun Kandel submitted a request to observe. I gladly accepted, and he came to the Knight Order in person. With him were a journalist holding a camera, a personal guard, and the family physician Dominic. “Welcome, Lord Kandel.” He looked quite exhausted and didn’t even take my hand for a handshake. “It’s today.” “There are still about eight hou-” “-The day you’re finished.” I let out a laugh without realizing it. Jun Kandel had his own strangely endearing side. “This way, please.” I led him to the underground prison. The physician, the guard, and the journalist he brought formed a line and followed. “Lord Kandel. Have you studied the chaos magic called 「Chimera Brain」?” I asked as we descended the stairs. “...Still with that bullshit?” An answer with anger subtly seeping out. Thud─ thud─ Our footsteps echoed down the cold hallway. “Why would I spout bullshit to Lord Kandel? Miss Pexi must consume the brain energy of others to maintain her body. The Pexi you think you know is already dead.” Jun tightly shut his lips. He gave off the air of someone not even listening to a word I was saying. Thud─ thud─ Each of us with different thoughts, we reached the very bottom of the underground prison. “There she is.” I gestured toward a shadowed corner. Beyond the iron bars, Pexi lay collapsed. “Pex!” Jun cried out her nickname and ran over. A full sprint that abandoned all noble decorum. He nearly threw himself against the bars, staring at Pexi. “Come on, get a hold of yourself, Pex!” What a hopeless romantic. Pexi slowly opened her eyes. “...Kandel, Professor?” “Yes, yes! It’s me! Pull yourself together! Let’s go, let’s go home!” “Professor...” Though she was clearly worn down, even in that state Pexi exuded a sickly sort of beauty. Sunken cheeks, pale skin that seemed to glow even more as a result. She looked like a living work of art, perfectly aligned with Jun’s taste. Jun turned toward me and shouted. “Open this door right now!” “There’s still a bit of time left.” I took out a high-purity mana stone from inside my coat. A blue gem-like stone. “Lord Kandel.” “Open the damn door! She’s dying-!” “As I said, what is tormenting her right now is not my act of detainment.” Jun’s desperate face looked almost comical. I stared straight at him and tightened my grip around the mana stone. “...It’s the mana of countless victims still living inside her brain.” Craaaaack──! I slammed two mana stones against each other. Mana pulsed out in circular waves. “That subspecies wearing Pexi’s skin is being killed by it.” “Stop spouting bullshit and open the-” -Krgrgrgk! At that moment, a grotesque sound erupted from inside the cell, something no human could possibly produce. “.......” Jun froze completely. As if sensing a terrible omen, he didn’t move an inch, swallowing hard. His face turned pale, and sweat broke out on his skin. Kreee--eeeerk-- The cry of a beast, or perhaps a monster. The journalist who had come down with Jun instinctively raised his camera. The physician Dominic wore a look of horror on his face. At last, Jun Kandel too managed to stiffly turn his neck and look at what had once been Pexi. I asked him, “Does that monster still look like your Pexi to you?”