Tsuihou Sareta Bannou Mahou Kenshi wa, Koujou Denka no Shishou Tonaru

I hear water droplets.

It looked like there was a rain leak from the ceiling.

The narrow basement was an inorganic stone construction that killed the landscape.

Just one candlestick is placed, dim.

"Yikes!

The squirt of water falling from the ceiling struck my body, and I screamed unexpectedly at its cold.

The red robe gets wet.

This is the basement of an army facility, and I was incarcerated.

Both hands are tied up with rope and chained to their feet as well.

I can't move at all, and I can't use magic.

Whether they call me Lucy the Crimson, or I'm a genius, there's nothing I can do right now.

"How are you feeling, Professor Lucy?

Along with a giggle of sorts, the basement door opened and one girl came in.

The girl with her grey hair cut short and her uniform put together was Ensign Claire.

She's Cleon's sister, a girl I've known since I was a young girl with Solon.

Claire was looking down at me sitting up.

I stare back at Claire too.

"I feel terrible."

To my words, Claire laughed with increasing pleasure.

"You're miserable. I can't believe that Lucy, that magical genius, is being held captive by some magical unusable missing person like me."

"I didn't lose to you."

"Heh."

"I was captured to protect Solon and Philia. I can't do anything without the power of the army. I didn't lose to you!

When I was clear, Claire distorted her righteous face and gave an angry look.

And wave up at me.

Beaten, I thought, I got scared.

I was born in a grand aristocratic house, educated in a magic school, and remained a teacher.

So there was no such thing as being wielded with violence.

Even though reason knows it's not as big a deal as getting beat up, my body shivers.

Unlike Solon, I'm not strong at all.

Solon is an adventurer. There would have been many times that it suited dangerous eyes.

Though he might be able to withstand irrational violence, I'm not.

Anticipating the impact of the next moment, I closed my eyes.

But nothing happened.

When I opened my eyes, Claire stopped her fist right in front of my cheek, and sighed.

"Mr. Solon will hate you, so I'll stop"

"You care about Solon."

"I care. Because I like Mr. Solon."

There was no hesitation or lighting, and Claire ran out of words.

Though not surprisingly, because it was a predictable thing.

"That's why I went ahead and arrested Professor Lucy so Mr. Solon wouldn't be a traitor. If Professor Lucy falls into Brother Cleon's or Father Gapon's hands, Mr. Solon could be the subject of execution."

"I know that, but you're also in favor of the resurrection of the Demon King, aren't you? I heard you fought Solon in Necropolis, but you tried to revive the Demon King."

"It is a separate matter from my feelings for Mr. Solon and the resurrection of the Demon King. Because the resurrection of the Demon King and his military use are military woes. No, it's the same problem when you think about it."

"Same problem?

"Yes, I am a soldier, so naturally I need to be true to the purpose of the army. But there's another reason why I'm working with the demon king."

"Could it be for Cleon? Cleon is trying to bring back a dead girl with the power of the Demon King, isn't he?

"Well, I can help you with your brother's purpose, but it doesn't matter to me."

"Then..."

"If the Demon King is resurrected, the Demon King himself can be a powerful weapon, but if he makes a covenant as his subordinate, an individual soldier in the army can use the power of the Demon King. Then I'll have magic too. The crystal sword that saint Saul had. More powerful than that."

"What do you do with the power? Though I don't think that's the same problem with your relationship with Solon."

Claire stared at me sharply with her grey eyes.

Those eyes had the colour of hatred.

My remarks pissed Claire off.

But I didn't know why.

"Professor Lucy has power, so I can say that.... Twelve-year-old I was desperate, knowing that I was an unwieldy missing man. Brother Cleon has a magical gift, but I didn't. I wanted to go to school with Mr. Sophia, but I couldn't. And I can't be an adventurer with Mr. Solon"

Claire said so bitterly, shaking her voice.

Certainly I don't understand Claire's emotions.

I have been treated as a magical genius since I was young.

In exchange for praise, though I was distanced from my surroundings and spent some time alone in a magic school where I enrolled in the flying class.

"To me I was thinking, Mr. Solon said, 'Even if you can't use magic, Claire is Claire,' and comforted me. Mr. Solon's hands were warm and I was delighted. That's why I went to cadet school to gain strength."

"You didn't think if you went to an all-door cadet school, you wouldn't be able to meet Solon?

"I thought so. But either way, Mr. Solon didn't need me for something I couldn't do with magic."

"I'm sure Solon won't say that."

"Yes. Mr. Solon won't say that, and you won't even think about it. Because Mr. Solon is kind. But objectively, what Mr. Solon needed was an excellent companion and a powerful teacher. If you had Brother Cleon, Mr. Sophia, and Professor Lucy, there wouldn't be room for me to get in there."

I was stunned.

Cruel, but I think Claire's right.

The goal Solon once conceived was to create the empire's strongest group of adventurers.

There was no way Claire could stand next to Solon or Sophia, more than there was nothing Claire could do for that goal.

And that was the same for me.

Solon doesn't need me anymore.

"Professor Lucy, why did you join the Free Alliance's plan? You must have found out to put Mr. Solon and the others at risk. Was it really just a sense of justice, trying to participate in a conspiracy to overthrow the government?

That's right.

I joined the Free Alliance for a reason I hadn't told anyone.

Especially to Solon alone, I couldn't tell him why.

But there are no Solons here.

To Claire's inquiry, I decided to open my heavy mouth and tell the truth.