The Economics of Prophecy

"I went out of my way here. Besides, what do you mean we're the only ones?"

I told Mathilde upstairs in the lab.

Upon receiving Crane's greeting, Maitille changed her complexion when she saw the bundle of paper she had received. And left the lab with Crane silently. They headed for the Imperial carriage Crane came in.

And then he comes back to the lab, or he just summoned me and Alfina to this place. I'm even taking my seat off to Fulsey, the lord of the room, at the request of Mathier.

I don't care what you think. I can only assume that there has been some major change in disaster entanglement in the Empire. I've just decided on a strategy. I want it to be as far as we can handle. However, whatever the information from the Empire is, I don't think there's any reason to hide it from Fulsey or Noel now.

"... maybe we should have a look at the data first. Crane."

"Yes, sir"

I'm obviously hesitant for Crane to follow the instructions. She should have been pretty faithful to Maitille.

"I told you the policy."

"... ok"

How many sheets of paper did Crane spread before us?

The first few pieces are magic fluctuations that accompany the familiar passage of time. followed by data of individual magic powers. It has a name indicating a sample I said pen or desk.

Next comes the dividing line and the paper with the human name written next to it. Is it like a lineage diagram?... Could this be.

"What I'm going to explain is what I got from old and extremely incomplete information, which I can never prove..."

"Crane, Ricardo doesn't need to do that."

"... I get it. This is the material Lord Ricardo was looking for. In other words, the use of the ancient dragon's eye in the Empire has looked into the cause of its incessance."

Crane's explanation begins. Family Diagram of the Users of the Ancient Dragon Eye. It is a record of the magic of the yearly wheel that the user used and thought to have been harvested in the same age.

In order to analyze the catastrophe, we found that we applied a method of measuring the long-term diabolic cycle. Yeah, it was about a hundred years ago when the empire's ancient dragon eye user went down.

At this point I had a strong chill. To tell that only to me and Alfina...

"I found that there are two main examples of the constant use of the ancient dragon's eye in this survey. One is something that gradually loses its qualities. The other..."

Crane keeps saying words with a stern face to affirm my concern.

"That is the conclusion of previous investigations"

Crane finished her explanation. There have been a number of ancient dragon eye users at the same time, in which case the number of successors with qualities gradually decreased, as usual. Suddenly, it stopped. Users themselves tend to live the same or longer life as normal humans. Probably the result of that status being taken care of.

But that's where the user's genealogy chart breaks. In other words, they leave little children behind.

"When I heard it before, it seemed okay..."

I said to gloat.

"At that point, I had little past demonic pulse information. A detailed study using your methods revealed that the last user was exposed to multiple, strong demonic veins. In addition to the magic of crimson, there were traces of purple magic."

Said Crane in a voice that erased his expression. I saw a girl sitting next to me in horror. He's got his hands waved, with his bloody waxy side.

Why, I thought about that possibility. Associations from radiation could cause damage to stem cells, starting with germ cells. So did I ask Alfina about her hair, and so did I look into the longevity of historical witches.

"Ah!"

Behind my brain floats a Lentgen statue of a demonic worm shown to Dagobad at the Royal Palace during the day. Among stem cells, germ cells are special. In the case of insects, for example, cells containing substances that are in the egg in the early stages of embryonic development are selected for future germ cells. In the case of mammals, it should have been decided from a fairly early age. There, suppose there was a substance involved that reacted to magic.

The influence of magic itself, quite apart from the burden of Alfina's brain to process the immense information of prophecy. I can think of that. No, I don't care about that logic. Things to think about now...

I desperately look at the data in front of me. Thankfully, it has even been examined for a return or approximate age that was under strong magic exposure.

There is still hope for this. Even now......

"... so, what do you do, Ricardo"

As you read my mind, Mathilde asked.

"You've made up your mind. Alfina can't get a step closer to the lab from now on."

Crane's data are coarse, as he said, and it is difficult to determine their statistical significance. But the longer I was exposed to strong magic, the better. Also, the older that age, the more likely it is that the offspring will endure at an accelerated rate. I can't be optimistic given the energy of purple magic, but Alfina is still young, and she's short to deal with crystals. It's still possible we'll make it.

"I know how you feel. But you know the situation..."

"I'm the one who judges the situation. With the authority to represent the kingdom-"

I stood up with my hands on my desk. But my sleeve is pulled from the side.

Alfina looked straight at Mayteel. The girl who was trembling until just now has become a resolute royal figure.

"Alfie -"

"I will remain the same and I will play my part as a witch princess"

It wasn't long before I stopped, Alfina declared. When you throw away the possibilities left to you for the role.

"No, I can't admit it."

"Ricardo. I'm fine."

"No, you're not going to be okay anywhere!

I yelled at Alfina unexpectedly. But Alfina shakes her head sorry. An awkward silence fell between the four.

"I'll leave this information with you for a while. You two should discuss it. Let me know when you come to a conclusion. We promise to cooperate as much as we can...................... but I can't wait that long"

"But, Your Highness..."

Crane tries to argue with Maitille, who tells her quietly.

"Crane. This is my personal investigation. No, if Ricardo bends his navel, that's it."

Mathier said. I silently gathered the materials and left the room without even looking behind. Alfina thanked the two before continuing behind me.

◇ ◇

Me and Alfina sat silently in the carriage back to Grand Duke Mansion. When only a little calm returns, the severity of the situation will be understood. Still, I repeatedly try to find a reason to convince Alfina in my head.

"Ricardo. I was originally supposed to serve as a witch until I was thirty. Besides, we're not losing our lives in this story."

That's what Alfina said slowly. You were shaking with a blue face earlier.

"If I give up my role here, that's what I lose everything. myself and my dear friends. And so is Ricardo. And if that happens, I will never forgive myself."

And I dealt with the words to show strong determination.

"Thanks to Ricardo, I was allowed to talk about my father and mother. Ricardo connected me to many friends. When I joined the college, I didn't think I could have such a happy day. So, enough."

Alfina finally smiled with a calm face. Not enough at all. Why would I let all Alfina carry the disaster? I should have come to prevent it...

"I'm sorry, Ricardo."

"Why would Alfina apologize? I'm the one who made the mistake..."

Alfina shook her head.

"Ricardo was also trying to protect me from this, wasn't he? I'm the one who didn't listen."

Alfina said spicy. I didn't know what you were talking about for a moment.

"No. My worries were unfounded at that point. Alfina gave me the right choice. If Alfina had listened to me and done nothing, everything would have been too late by now."

I assured you.

If Craig and the others had been wiped out by the invasion of adults in the eastern part of the Empire, no conclusive information would have been available on the identity of the disaster. It is also likely that radar and purple magic generators that monitor the mountains of blood were still incomplete.

I'm the one who made the mistake. Not until I've thought about the possibility of this problem. Why did you leave it to me? There is a delicate problem. But I was relieved to receive reports that it seemed okay, pointing out only vague possibilities to Luitzer and Crane.

I didn't face the risk properly. For example, you could have made something like a protective suit against purple magic. Whether there was a problem or not, that must have been very different.

I made that decision because I was distorting my thoughts with my appetite for exclusivity towards Alfina and my inferiority towards myself. So I can't protect Alfina's happiness, which I should have defended most.

"Please, I hope you're not mistaken. I made a mistake and Alfina made me right."

I repeated it again. I can't believe what Alfina did to me was a mistake. Alfina, who was surprised by my sword screen, gives me a relief look.

"Good. You can admit you're Ricardo's partner. I say it as a partner. Ricardo knows what's going on."

"That, is..."

I whispered. Things are starting to move on a hell of a scale. We've come this far with the help of many people, uniting two nations. Still, it's just a situation where you don't know if you have enough time or if you can win. Something just stepped wrong and human society perishes.

There's me, Alfina and my people near that front line.

If Alfina is removed now, everything is likely to be placed in an extremely dangerous state. Alfina's words earlier are an inescapable reality.

"Tomorrow, let me again tell His Highness Maitille that it is as it has always been................ just could you hear one thing about my selfishness before that"

Passing the gate of the Grand Duke's mansion, Alfina said in a slowing carriage.