34-Episode 34




Now, the most important thing in a social war is information.
We should start by gathering information on Count Goldart.

I finished my breakfast and went back to my room.
I took out a large hand mirror from my luggage bag, fixed it in place, picked up my mage staff, and began chanting spells.

The spell to be cast was a communication spell called "contact".
This spell connects two special mirrors by magic, and can transmit images and sounds between them.

Each mirror has its own access number.
I completed the spell, thinking of the number of the target mirror.

The scene is then reflected in the mirror fixed on the table.

It was one of the laboratories of the Academy of Magic.
On the desk, which is not a small one, there are many books piled haphazardly and high, as if they are about to fall down.

Only one corner of the desk had been cleared somehow, and an old man was sitting in front of it, working on something.
He writes on a piece of paper on the desk, scratches his head, and throws the newly written paper into a crumpled ball.
On the floor of the laboratory, scraps of paper that had been thrown about were falling here and there.

I breathed a sigh and called out to the mirror.

'Professor, it's been a while. I'm still not very good at organizing and cleaning up.

'......? Oh, it's William!

The old man, who had been absorbed in his writing, looked up and looked at me from behind the mirror.
The mirror in the lab now should show me and the room I'm in.

'Huh, I've told you before. It's not that I don't clean up. It's just that this is the best arrangement. This is the best arrangement for a researcher to have the materials within easy reach.

With that, the old man taps his hand on a pile of books on his desk.
Then...

'Whoa!

Thud, thud, thud.
The pile of books on the desk collapses, and they all fall down at once.

A thick cloud of dust is flying around.
I smiled at the sight of the professor as usual.

So what do you want, William? You're tired of being an adventurer and need someone to talk you into a job? My assistant's seat is always available.

No, sir. I'm not tired of being an adventurer. I've only just begun my career. I have one more question for you, professor.

'What is it, tell me.

'Yes, sir. I would like to know if there is anyone from the academy who has been assigned to Count Goldart's court as a magician.

I ask the professor for a favor.

In the event that you have any questions concerning where and how to use the internet, you can call us at our own web site.

'......Hou? Wait a minute.'

The professor went to a bookshelf at the side of the room, took out a thick book from it, and came back with it.
He flipped through the pages and stopped at one page.

'There it is. There was a graduate just three years ago who was assigned to Count Goldart. Her name is Alice Flamelia... no, wait, I think she's .......'

The professor put the book he had brought on his desk and went to the bookshelf again.
Then he brings out another book and starts flipping through it again.

'There it is! I knew it. Alice Flamelia, the heretic who submitted her thesis in the field of necromancy. The title of her thesis is 'A Study of the Conditions for the Natural Occurrence of the Lower Undead'. However, since it was related to necromancy, which is implicitly forbidden in the academy, I heard that his thesis did not receive a proper evaluation. ...... So, William, why are you asking me this?

Then the professor came to himself and asked me.

I, on the other hand, was a little surprised.
I was thinking of contacting Count Goldert's court magician to get information about him, but an unexpected piece of information came to me.

The whole story began to emerge at once.
This is an unexpected find.

'No, I was facing a problem that was a little hard to overlook, so I thought I'd get some information about it, but thanks to Professor ......, I think I'm starting to see the whole picture at once.

I don't know. I don't know what it is, but I'm glad you found it useful. Next time you want to talk about it as a snack, please let me know when you're ready to talk about it.'

'Yes, sir. I'll thank you in due course. Now if you'll excuse me, Professor.

'Hmm. Good luck.'

I broke my mental focus and ended the contact spell.
The mirror changes back to showing me and my room.

'...... Well...'

What's going on here?

The information window I was expecting turned out to be black with a high probability.
I decided to reconfigure my logic and rethink my next move.