A mage is a national asset.
　They are the pioneers of technology and the nation's great military power.
　But no matter who they are, they will always bend the knee before power.


　In the face of the power wielded by those in power, we are forced to do what we do not want. And in a country where such things are commonplace, the number of mages will naturally decrease.


　In order to prevent this, the so-called [Mage Guild] was created.
　It was originally based on a government office that kept track of the number of mages scattered throughout the kingdom, and now, as mentioned above, it works under the control of the state to mediate jobs, guarantee the positions, and protect the mages who are members.


　The building is located not far from the royal palace, in the district where all the government buildings are gathered, and features a four-story black building.


　--However, Godwald Gilvester, the Secretary of the Mage Guild, was on his way to the Mage Guild, his castle, after having finished his meeting and talks at the Royal Palace in the morning.


　In the carriage on the way to the guild hall, he asked his old secretary, Bargius.


You have a meeting first thing this afternoon, I believe.

"Yes. The visitor is Mr. Clive Arbent and two others. Since you requested a secluded place for the meeting, we have chosen a black room.

"Huh?　Are you trying to pull some kind of trick?

A guildmaster would be well suited to scheming in an enclosed room where no sound can escape.

Yeah. You tell me.


　Godwald replies to the older secretary, who bursts out laughing.
　The Mage Guild has three rooms that are used for meetings. The gold room is used for high ranking people, the indigo room is used when there are many people, and the black room is used for secret talks.


　To prevent eavesdropping, the other rooms are not adjacent to each other, and there are no windows.
　It is not uncommon for national mages to use this room to report their research, so it is not uncommon to be assigned this room.


"The following two? Squires?

"Of course. Any idea who they are?

I'm not aware of any research that would warrant a report.


　Godwald is an old friend of Crabbe's.
　Godwald was an old acquaintance of Crabbe's. When Crabbe was still a naughty boy, Godwald used to go to the scene and scold him.
　When he ran away from home, left the country, and returned to the kingdom, it was he who asked him to become a national mage.


　As a result, we are in frequent contact, and he often asks me for advice on his research.
　However, I believe he told me that he has been too busy with his territory and military work lately to engage in any new research.


　However, in the Kuro Room, there was a national mage, Crabbe Arbent, who requested to see him. And his follower, Noah Ingvein, and another girl I didn't recognize.
　She had the same silver hair as Crabbe, and her small, white-skinned face was filled with red eyes like red balls. On top of that, she wore a pure white shirt and, unusually for a noblewoman, half-pants-type pants instead of a skirt. On her waist was a dagger for self-defense.


"Huh?


　The girl let out a startled cry when she saw her face.
　You don't think that's rude ....... It happens all the time. Her face was very ugly and she had many scars on it. I'm used to small children cowering and crying when they see my face.


　............ Yes, I'm used to it.


　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.


I'm sorry, too!

No, it's fine.


　But the girl misunderstood what I said, and broke her back again and bowed her head.


"Ho, I'm really sorry!


　I'm so sorry!" She went on to apologize like that.
　He didn't need to be so frightened.
　Is this face really that scary to you?


　On the other hand, Crabbe, the man who brought the girl to ...... the squire, is grinning.
　I've heard that Noah Ingveen, who is usually very clear, has always had this kind of personality.


　The girl was dazed and confused, but when Crabbe said, "It's all right," she finally regained her composure and sat down on the sofa with her head bowed again.


　She sits down on the couch with the flag of the Mage's Guild facing her.
　When Crabbe asked to see me, I asked him first.


"I know Noah, are you his daughter?

No, no, he's my nephew. Nephew. You can tell it's a man by his clothes.

"Nephew ......?


　He's got a pretty face, but he's certainly dressed like a nobleman of the realm.
　Crabbe didn't have any sons, but I've heard that the original House of Raytheft had a disinherited eldest son.


"Oh, I'm Arx Raytheft. Nice to meet you.

"Hmm. I'm Godwald Gilvester, entrusted by His Majesty the King with the Mage Guild.
　After the name-only introductions, Crabbe began his usual random introductions.


"Arx. This scary old man is the most important mage in this country. ...... Well, the most important is the king, but the next most important is this scary face.

I don't need a scary face. I don't need a scary face.

What? I'm just trying to lighten the mood, okay?　Why don't you come over and join in?


　Crabbe talks lightly like that. Even though he became a national mage and received a knighthood, it seems that he still has the same bad boy attitude. He may not be wrong in what he says, but...




So, what the hell is today's...

"Excuse me!


　Suddenly, I hear a woman's loud voice coming from outside the door. Perhaps she was nervous, but her voice was slightly raised.
　Eventually, a woman who had recently joined the guild's staff walked into the room.


What the hell is going on? It's so loud.


　I thought I was talking to her in a normal way, but...


"What ......?


　The woman looked desperate and fell on her buttocks on the spot.
　With that, the papers she was apparently holding were scattered. She had probably come to deliver some urgent and important documents.


　I looked up and saw a woman with tears in the corners of her eyes.
　Then she shrunk down like a small animal.


"Please don't kill me. ...... Please don't kill me. ......

"...... won't do that. What the hell is wrong with you?

"Yes, yes!　It's .......

Hmm?　What the f*ck?　What the f*ck?

Excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, excuse me!　Please!　Please let me live!


　The staff girl fell flat on her face.
　Then Arx turned pale, pulled a face, and said.


"...... Are you still going to kill him?　Are you going to stuff them alive with coagulum and sink them in Xanax Bay?

"Oh!


　The woman on the staff becomes even more frightened, probably because Arx said something specific.


You're not going to kill her. ...... Stop talking nonsense.

I'm sorry!


　You're not going to kill her.
　And then Crabbe looks at you with a dumbfounded expression.


He's got a scary face, so you've got to be a little softer with him.

"Ummm ......, you can't help it if your face is scary. What more do you want me to do? ......


　You can't help but grunt, but it's the staff here.


So what's going on?

Well, Mr. Barchius told me to bring some papers and some tea and snacks for the children who are here. ...... I'm outside the room.


　Are you prepared? The old secretary is as prepared as ever.


"Hmm, Barchius is very thoughtful.


　Then Arx looked somewhat apologetic.


Oh, ...... I don't like sugary sweets. ......

Is that so?　That's unusual.


　Normally, a child of this age would appreciate the taste of sweetness. Not being good at it is quite unusual.


He's an odd one.

"Yeah. Yes, he is.

...... We're both terrible.


　Maybe it was because both Crabbe and Noah had said it, but Arx seemed to be subtle about it.
　The staff put the tea and tea cakes on the table and left the room. After having a smoke, Crabbe interrupted him.


So let's get down to business.

So, what's going on today?

It's ...... this.


　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation.


　I'm not sure what it is. ...... What is it really? It's too thin to be a chemical test tube and the mouth is closed so you can't put anything in it. The wooden frame has what looks like a scale on it, as if it were written on a ruler. The lower part of the tube is slightly bulging and holds a red liquid.


　It's enough to use the black space. I'm pretty sure it's something serious, but...


"What is this?

This is an instrument that accurately measures the amount of magic power with numerical values.

What is ......?


　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.
　I didn't immediately understand the meaning of what he was saying.


　Crabbe, on the other hand, had a devious grin on his face, as if he wanted to see it.



　That's when I finally came to my senses.


"No, but ...... you're measuring the amount of magic?


　It's something that no one has ever tried and failed to do before. It is something that everyone has tried and failed to do. But in the end, none of them worked, and they were forced to give up.


　The fact that he was able to accomplish such research, which many of his predecessors had given up on, is a testament to the quality of his work. ......


"Oh, my God, is this really happening?

"Oh, I don't think so, you know. You can find a lot of people who are interested in this kind of thing.



"A substance that reacts to magical power: ...... Okay, so this thing moves?

No, it expands. The more magic it releases, the more it expands.

Did you make this?

The one you're holding now has my hand in it, but he made the original.


　Crabbe then patted the head of Arx, who was standing next to him.
　But we were more surprised by that.


"A boy of less than ten?

"Yes. Isn't that amazing?　I was surprised at first, too.


　While Crabbe laughed out loud, Arx showed an embarrassed smile, but remained quiet.


　Then he picked up the [Magic Meter]. Indeed, when you release the magic power, the red liquid inside expands, just as Crabbe said. It immediately expands to the top. When you stop releasing magic power, it instantly contracts. It is now contained in the sphere at the bottom.


"......'s sensitivity to magic is amazingly good.

Yeah. Thanks to that, it's easy to measure.


　At first I was skeptical, but when I actually saw it, it was indeed a measuring device.


"How far is it?　How far is it?

How far?" "Too far, and it won't respond. The limit range is a little smaller than this room.


　Arx nodded at his words.
　If that's the case, can't we use it to detect the release of magic power from enemy mages?


　Anyway, this is an innovative product. With this, it will be possible to measure the magic power used in spells and learn magic quickly. This would greatly reduce the time required for mages to learn magic, and would not only raise the quality of mages, but also make it possible to equalize the abilities of mages.


　The benefits that this will bring cannot be described in a few words.
　What I do know is this.


"When this is announced, the contribution to the country will be immeasurable.

Right?

But you know what?　But are you sure? You who made this have the right to keep it secret?


　This is a technology that is part of the mage's secret. According to the laws set forth by the king, it is one that can be monopolized. If you monopolize it and make it your family's strength, you will have an overwhelming advantage over other families, or you can even dream of creating your own faction.


I've already concluded that here. This guy wants to spread the [magic meter] and get something in return.

[......]


　I want something in return. It's surprising that he would come up with such an answer at his age.


"Arx Raytheft. What exactly are you looking for when you publish this?

Money, first and foremost. If you don't mind, I'd like to see as much important magical material as you have access to.


　A mage's request indeed. Money and knowledge. A mage always struggles with these things.
　It's very mage like, but .......


I'm sure you're not the only one.

It's funny. It's funny. The first time he asked me for something, he asked me to teach him magic.　Now he even makes his own original magic.

"Oh, ......!


　Hearing Crabbe's words, a chill ran up my spine. The process of creating your own magic is so difficult that it is a graduation project at the Academy of Magic. After five years of deepening their knowledge of words and phrases, familiarizing themselves with the manipulation of magic power, and working at it for five years, students are finally able to construct their own spells before they graduate. Even at that point, there are many students who present useless magic, and only 10% of graduates create remarkable spells.


　In other words, this boy named Arx is already at that level.
　I thought that only the Crown Prince, a renowned genius, could do such a thing at his age, but I never thought that there would be someone with a talent comparable to that. I'm not sure what to make of it.


"...... So that's how you came to create something like this? It's terrifying.


　This is a great idea and resourcefulness to create something that has been pursued by several mages in the past.
　You can't predict what will happen to ............ it if it grows in the future.


　...... I look at Arx Raytheft again.
　His face is so lovely and innocent that he looks like a girl.
　He is now frequently sipping on his tea, perhaps because he is nervous. His face and gestures are smiling, and he doesn't look like someone with a terrible talent.


　He turned his gaze back to Crabbe.


"...... So, have you told the King about this?

"Not yet. I'm talking about him. As soon as I tell him, he'll say, "Do you have a plan for production?" "Have you liaised with the relevant authorities yet? You never know what they'll say if you haven't done it.


　...... Indeed, His Majesty the King would even talk about such things. His Majesty wants people who can do the job. If you report to him, he will definitely ask you about the results and what happens next.


　If you don't have a plan for the rest of your life, you're bound to get a lot of flak.


　But--


If you don't tell them first, they'll say, "Why didn't you tell me first?" ......

"That's unreasonable. That magic idiot.


　While I was talking about this with Crabbe, I noticed that Arx's eyes were fixed on the ground.


No, I mean, calling His Majesty the King that guy and a magical idiot. ......

"Hmm?　Yeah, that's right.


　In the Kingdom of Rynor,......, as in other countries as well, the king and the royal family are sacred and absolute. It's not surprising that they would be punished for disrespecting such an existence with such irreverent words.


　That's common sense, but the situation is a little different with this man, Crabbe.


He's a friend of mine. He used to sneak into town and run around with me...


　That's how he talks about the saga that Crabbe established with the current king.
　He seems to be bragging about it, but from my point of view, I only have the impression that they were all just annoying disturbances.


　Meanwhile, Arx is listening to them and moving his mouth.
　When Crabbe's bragging was over, he said


"Well, I've already reported it to you.

"Okay. All I have to do is get ready to accept it, okay?

Yeah. I'll do the research and stuff. I'll just ask you to lay the groundwork when I'm ready to present.


　Crabbe says, and turns to leave.


"You're not taking this with you?


　Arx replied.


"That's for the guild leader to use.

It's a small token from us.

What a cheeky bastard.


　He said that, but he couldn't hide his inner excitement.
　And when we left...


"Arbent.

"What?

"Everlasting loyalty to the royal family.

"Oh. Everlasting loyalty to the crown.


　With that, Cleve led them out of the room.