Discovery of the Will

Discovery of the Will

I couldn’t hide my bewilderment at that single sentence asking me to carry out more terrorism.

It would be one thing if I were doing it on my own initiative, but I never expected to hear Espin tell me to do it.

‘I’ve lived to experience all sorts of things.’

So, as I was holding my head to prevent the sudden oncoming headache,

Espin looked at me and said somewhat triumphantly,

“I can guess what you’re thinking right now, but just hear me out. There’s a reason why you have to carry out the terrorist attack.”

Curious about what he might say,

I nodded slightly, meaning for him to speak freely.

“Well then, go ahead and explain.”

At those words, Espin nodded and pointed to the document floating above, saying,

“First of all, do you know that because you openly carried out a terrorist attack against the central government, people’s attention is now focused on the central government?”

Although I haven’t checked yet, so I don’t know exactly how much attention it’s getting.

Considering the damage inflicted, I was certain it would be drawing far more attention than imaginable, so I nodded.

Espin smiled brightly at me.

“In such a situation, if another terrorist attack occurs, what do you think people will think?”

“They’ll think all hell has broken loose.”

Surprised by my answer, Espin looked at me and replied with a somewhat disgruntled voice.

“Well… that’s true too. But more likely, seeing repeated terrorist attacks, they’ll think something is going wrong.”

“I suppose so.”

“In the midst of this, if you carry out another terrorist attack and then pin the mastermind of this terror on the Heaven God Cult, what do you think will happen?”

Hearing this, I fell into deep thought for a moment.

Since most of the central government itself has fallen to the Heaven God Cult, it might not have a big effect there.

But for forces outside the central government, it could widely spread information about the Heaven God Cult, so it wouldn’t be entirely bad.

As I nodded in understanding,

Espin raised his index finger and said,

“And that’s not all. By carrying out consecutive attacks, we can send a message to those who have succumbed to fear or intimidation.”

“A message?”

“Yes. Something like ‘The Heaven God Cult is a more vulnerable organization than you think’?”

Vulnerable, huh…

Although Espin said it playfully, knowing the significant meaning it carried, it was quite an appealing aspect to me.

‘In any case, it could be the seed of doubt.’

As someone who knows that this is an element that can shake those forcibly brought in by the Heaven God Cult.

I thought it would be good to touch on this in advance, so I said I would do so.

‘Then, using the bishop we’ve captured in Mace.’

We decided to cause terror in various places and then pin it on the Heaven God Cult.

* * *

After having such a conversation with Espin.

As I was heading to the lab to finish researching spatial expansion magic for future terror acts.

I noticed that, unlike usual, the lab door was open.

‘A thief?’

At first, I thought a thief might have broken in.

But it didn’t make sense for a thief to break through the Lercier Family’s security and reach the lab.

‘Even if they managed to break in.’

Luna, who has detection abilities, would have immediately informed me of such a fact.

It seemed highly likely that the person inside the lab was either Delia or Sien.

‘Normally, the probability of it being Rumi would be high.’

Unlike in the past, since my relationship with Rumi had deteriorated to the worst state.

The probability of that was extremely low.

‘Well, anyway… I’ll have to scold them a bit.’

No matter how close we are.

Intending to tell them that entering without permission was crossing the line, I went inside and saw.

“… Hello.”

It was Rumi, cleaning with a hesitant expression.

And she was wearing a maid outfit, no less.

Surprised by the unexpected visitor, I looked at Rumi with a bewildered expression.

Rumi starts to say something to me while fidgeting with her fingers.

“I, I thought it would be good to clean for you… Since the lab can’t be shown to just anyone, and it’s better if someone with magical knowledge cleans it, I thought it would be good if I did it…”

If it were anyone else, I would have scolded them.

But seeing Rumi shrinking like that, the scolding that had risen to my throat quickly subsides.

Thinking that I’m strangely lenient with Rumi, I spoke briefly.

“… Well done. Keep going.”

If I had scolded her in this situation, it felt like Rumi would really run away, so I forced myself to hold back and praise her instead.

Rumi nods her head quickly with an expression that’s much better than before.

As I watch Rumi like this, thinking I did well to hold back my scolding, I’m inwardly sighing.

“De, Deren.”

Rumi calls out to me while wiping a nearby desk.

“What is it?”

“Um… You know those things I said before…?”

Judging by how hesitantly she’s speaking.

It seems she’s like this because of those ‘I don’t like you’ words she said to me before.

Finding it difficult to respond to Rumi’s words, I just make eye contact silently, and Rumi speaks to me in a shrinking voice.

“Th-those things I said back then weren’t sincere… So, um… please forget about them.”

Not knowing what to say or how to react, I simply nodded.

Rumi fidgeted again, fiddling with her hands.

Then she pressed her lips tightly and started mopping again.

The ensuing silence is somewhat uncomfortable.

As I listen to the sound of Rumi’s mopping, opening magic books to continue my research.

Rumi, seemingly unable to bear it any longer, grabbed the mop with both hands and spoke to me.

“W-well then, I’ll go clean the next place…! I’m pretty much done here.”

“Good work.”

“It’s nothing…!”

With those final words, Rumi picked up the water bucket nearby and rushed out as if escaping.

I watched Rumi’s retreating figure, then closed my eyes, wondering what to do next.

* * * * *

As soon as Rumi left the laboratory, she clutched her heart and took a rather rough deep breath.

The moment she saw Deren, she felt strangely tense, her heart fluttering so much that she couldn’t stay still.

‘Maybe it’s because of what I said before.’

Thinking that the aftermath of lying about disliking him still lingered, she shook her head from side to side.

Then, pulling herself together, she opened her eyes wide.

‘Right… I can do well from now on, so I should stop thinking about it.’

Thinking she should focus on cleaning diligently, she headed towards Deren’s room.

Upon arriving at Deren’s room, as she was rolling up her sleeves to start cleaning right away.

Deren’s black cat caught my eye as it yawned and stared at me.

“……”

At that moment, perhaps because of what I had seen before.

Just as I was squinting my eyes, wondering, ‘Is that really Deren’s cat?’

The black cat looked at me and suddenly started tapping the drawer with its front paw.

“Meow.”

Since I’m not a cat, I couldn’t understand what it was saying.

But its behavior seemed to be saying ‘check the drawer’, so I cautiously approached the drawer, just in case.

‘Is there something in here?’

I’m not sure what it is, but judging by how it keeps scratching the drawer even as I approach, there must be something important inside.

After hesitating for a moment, I slowly opened the drawer and said to the cat.

“Is this okay?”

“Meow. Meooow. Kyaaak!”

When I opened it and stepped back, the cat seemed frustrated and started hitting the drawer with its front paws.

Then it started meowing loudly and pointing inside the drawer.

It seemed to mean that I should check it myself, so after hesitating, I looked inside.

There were only some odds and ends inside, so I couldn’t help but show a puzzled expression.

‘Maybe it wants these odds and ends?’

Just as I was about to grab them to give to the cat, thinking there was nothing else.

I could sense an alien mana from inside the drawer.

‘…Mana?’

Based on how strangely the mana is twisted, it seems like it was deliberately twisted to hide something.

I couldn’t understand why they would go to such lengths to hide something.

‘Knowing Deren’s personality, if it was something he really wanted to hide, he would carry it with him rather than hiding it in his room… Why did he hide it here?’

No matter how much I thought about it, it didn’t seem like something Deren would do.

With great curiosity and a sense of unease, I felt a strong urge to check it out.

‘The Heaven God Cult might have hidden something like a bomb…’

Thinking it would be best to check it directly.

After forcibly unraveling the twisted mana, I forcefully extracted the item hidden inside.

“……”

The item came out more easily than expected.

It came out so easily that it was almost as if ‘someone wanted it to be found’, which was surprising.

Trying to calm myself, I checked what the item inside was.

‘… A letter?’

I couldn’t hide my surprise at the unexpected item that suddenly appeared.

I never dreamed that a letter would come out.

‘Why would they put something like this here…’

As I was thinking about why, just as I was about to put it back inside.

A rather strange phrase written on one side of the letter caught my eye.

[If found, deliver to one of Rumi, Sien, Delia, or Espin.]

‘Why is my name here…?’

As I was blinking, wondering why my own name was written there.

The cat in front of me pointed to the letter and spoke.

[Read it.]

A human voice echoed in my head.

Surprised by such a voice, I fell to the ground.

The cat, looking at me indifferently, began to gesture for me to read the letter quickly.

‘……’

Everything from start to finish was incomprehensible, but it seemed best to read it for now.

After taking a deep breath and opening the letter, what I saw was.

“… A will?”

It was Deren’s will.