Lucy came to my mansion that night.
　She said she would send her belongings to me later.
　She originally lived in the teachers' dormitory at the magic school, so she didn't have much personal belongings, and it would be easy for her to move out.

　Filia knew Lucy, and the people-oriented Clarice didn't object to Lucy living in my mansion.

　The only one, Sophia, looked a bit confused, but eventually she nodded her head.

　It's not that they don't get along, it's just that Sophia respects Lucy as a genius instructor, and Lucy thinks highly of her as an excellent student.

　However, there was a subtle tension between the two of them since their days at the magic school.
　I'm not sure what the reason for that is.

　I'm not sure what the reason is, but I'm going to show you around the mansion and explain the situation up to this point.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information on this in the article.

''The war itself, which has been a losing proposition, must end quickly.

　Lucy assured him.
　Originally, Lucy had been bitter about the new Prime Minister Strath and seemed to be in denial about Creon's formation of the Order of Salvation.

　When they went upstairs, Lucy pointed to one of the bedrooms.

''Well, I'll have the use of this room then.

　We sleep in a room on the east side of the mansion's second floor.
　Lucy's room will be in the west corner on the other side of the hallway.

'Shouldn't you be in the same room as Solon?

　Filia asks Lucy teasingly.
　Lucy laughed and looked down at Filia.

'Yes.'

　Lucy said she would watch me and Filia and the others to make sure we didn't do anything weird.
　So I thought Lucy might say something about sleeping in the same room as me.

　But, as expected, I was wrong.

　I'm relieved.
　There is a limit to the number of beds in the same room.

　But when Lucy looked at me, she chuckled and ran her fingertips through her crimson hair.
　I have a bad feeling about this.

　We've known each other for a long time, so I know, but when Lucy is making this kind of gesture, there's a very high probability that she's thinking something crazy.

　You may have an agenda when you said you would be using another room.

Now, let's see. Let's get on with the countermeasure against Filia's magic runaway, shall we?

　Lucy pointed at Filia with a start and took out her wand.
　Is she going to do it here?

　If Filia lets her magic run amok, though, my mansion could catch fire.

''Don't worry. There's no need to worry about a runaway when we take this countermeasure. Solon, can you explain how the two factors of magic quantity affect the quality of your magic?

　That's the kind of thing a first-year wizarding school student learns to do.
　I reply, puzzled.

'Each person has magic power within their body, and the amount of magic power varies from person to person. And how efficiently can you convert that amount of magical power into magic through the magical pathways that are stretched across your body? These two things determine the success or failure of the magic.

''That's correct. You can't change the amount of magic you have to begin with, but as long as you can master it, you'll be able to use advanced magic. Filia has a lot of magical energy, but she doesn't know how to use it well.

　Lucy still seemed to know that Filia was a descendant of the Demon King.
　The descendants of the Demon King possessed an amount of magical power that normal humans would never possess.

　If Filia tried to pass that enormous amount of magical power through her staff with all her might without any training, the staff would not be able to withstand it and the magical power would go out of control.

　That was Lucy's explanation.

　Indeed, it seems that Filia's magic went out of control when she was conscious of releasing her powerful magic.

''What makes the Demon King's descendants special is not just their amount of magical power. The conversion efficiency of magic power is extremely high.

Sixty percent, or is that about it?

''No. Even I, a genius, can only convert about seventy percent of my magical capacity into magic, but the descendants of the Demon King can exceed ninety-five percent.　

　I gasped.　
　Almost everything, I mean.

　Lucy compares me to Filia.

'The amount of magic power and high efficiency of the Demon King's descendants' conversion to magic makes them an excellent weapon. But unlike most people, the magic power is too strong and there's a risk of letting it run amok. If that's the case, what do you think we should do?

　The amount of magic power is innate, so you can't change it.
　Then you can lower the efficiency of the conversion to magic.

　When I answered that, Lucy nodded her head.

''Exactly. That's why we can tie up Filia's magic pathway.

But how do you do it?　I've never heard of such magic.

'Yes. We'll need to connect the magic pathway to someone else. Then we can adjust Filia's magical energy from the outside.

'Does that mean you're going to do the same thing Arte did to the descendants of the Demon King?

　I was worried.
　Arte abused the girls who were descendants of the Demon King, forcibly sucking up their magical power and treating them badly.
　Magic power is part of the human life force, and if someone else is forced to take it away, they should at least be crippled.

''It's okay. If that regulator didn't maliciously try to use the magic power, Filia wouldn't be like that.''

But can you tell me that someone who makes that adjustment isn't blinded by the amount of magic Filia has?

　The amount of magic power decisively determines the ability of a sorcerer.
　If that regulator wanted to use Filia as a stepping stone, it would be possible for her to become a higher-ranking sorcerer.

　However, Lucy was full of confidence.

''It's okay. There's one person who would never betray Filia, right?

"...me?　It's true that I wouldn't try to use Filia-sama's magic, but...

It's decided. Wouldn't it be okay for Filia to link up with Solon?

　Without a moment's hesitation, Filia said, "Of course! I nodded in a bouncy voice.
　Filia put her hand on top of mine, just as Lucy told me to.

　I recoiled for a moment and then looked into Filia's eyes.

'Are you sure you want to do this?　I'll be in a position where I'm as good as holding Lady Filia's life in my hands, right?

It's all right. Because I have faith in Solon.

　Filia smiled softly.

　As instructed by Lucy, Filia began to chant the contract spell that connected the magic pathways.

''My life path is yours.''

　When Filia finishes in her beautiful voice, I cast the counterpart spell.

'Your path is my path as well,'

　With just those two words, the deal was done.
　Something warm is flowing into me.

　A small amount of Filia's magical power is flowing toward me.
　The same is true for Filia, it seems.

"This is how Solon and I became one, right?

　Lucy hurriedly interrupted from the side.

''It's simply because the magic pathways were connected!

But I have a feeling that there's a Solon in me.

　Filia says happily.

　Anyway, first of all, we should be happy that the obstacle to Filia's magic training is gone.
　That's all thanks to Lucy.

　Lucy has put her shoulder to the Emperor Filia, who had been treated coldly.
　The reason for this is because Filia is still a descendant of the Demon King and expects to become a great sorceress with her magic power?

　I asked, and Lucy shook her head.

'That's one thing, but there's another reason.

Another reason?

Filia, and Solon will carry the future of this empire on his shoulders.

　Lucy muttered to herself.