I thought about going to see Lucy's apprentice.
　Maybe Lucy's apprentice would know something important.

　As we parted, Lucy asked, "Can I ask you to take care of my apprentice? He said to me.
　My hunch is that this doesn't just mean that I want Lucy's apprentice to be taken care of, but that it's worth it for me to meet with Lucy's apprentice.

　In other words, Lucy's disciple might know something important.
　Lucy's apprentice is a student of the Imperial School of Magic, so I'll be able to meet her there.

　I'm a graduate too, so it's not hard to get in touch with Lucy's apprentice girl.

　I get ready to go out in the afternoon and pick up my cloak.
　My mansion is on the outskirts of the imperial capital, so it's a good distance to the Imperial School of Magic.

　I walked down the corridor thinking that I had to call a carriage, and when I came to the front door, I bumped into Filia.

''Solon, are you going out?''

Okay. I need to run some errands.

'You're going to the Imperial School of Magic to see Lucy's apprentice?'

How did you know?

　I was a bit surprised.
　I didn't tell Filia that I was going to see Lucy's apprentice.

　Filia puffed out her cheeks.

'I know that much,' she said. ─ I know how much he knows, he told Solon about his apprentice yesterday. Does this mean that there might be a clue to help her?

That's right.

I figured since you're dressed to go away, and I'm sure Solon would make it his priority to help Lucy and I, I figured he would.

　Filia's quick thinking made me roll my tongue.
　After all, this princess is intelligent.

　She's usually naive, but when she's sharp, she's sharp.
　However, that sharpness was often used for a bit of selfishness.

''Solon.......you know what?

'Do you want to go to wizarding school too, Miss Filia?'

How did you know?

I know what you're thinking, Lady Filia.

　I smiled.
　Filia was curious, but she also wanted to join a magic school.

　Unfortunately, since Filia is the daughter of a demon, she will never be allowed to enter a witchcraft school.
　But I can give you a tour of the wizardry school.

''You can follow me,''

Really?　I thought you were going to say no.

This is a special case.

　The magic school itself is not a dangerous place at all, and its purpose is a very decent one: to meet people.
　So there's no need to worry about Filia's safety.

　Seeing the magic school would be a good stimulus for Filia, who is trying to become a sorcerer.

　I told Filia to hurry up and get ready.
　Filia nodded yes in a bouncy voice and was gone in a flash, looking for Clarice.

　I chuckled.
　I'm worried about Lucy, but we shouldn't be in a hurry.

　Let's start with what we can do steadily.
　I was mumbling to myself when I heard a steady pounding on the front door.

　Who could it be?
　I had no plans for visitors.

　I opened the front door, wary.

　There was a tall, old man dressed in black.

　He wore a golden cross on his chest.
　He was a clergyman of the Imperial Church.

''It's been a while, Soron the Magician.

　The one who said in a low voice was Father Gapon, an agent of the Third Department of the Emperor's Secretariat.

　He was the one who had once tried to get Filia to execute a traitor.

''What do you want?''

　I said coldly.
　'There is absolutely no reason to be close to Father Gapon, the dark side of the Imperial government.

　Gapon smiled thinly.

'Don't be mean to me,' he said. It's nothing to do with you,

　It can't be.
　The emperor's secret police, Gapon, came, and it had something to do with Lucy,

　Claire said.
　Creon and Gapon are planning to arrest me as a traitor, too, he said.

　And Claire said that she would try to prevent that from happening.
　In fact, Claire's restraint on Lucy's custody made it very unlikely that I would be arrested.

　But it didn't make a difference that Father Gapon was suspicious of me.

'I only came to warn you. ...Don't try anything unnecessary. We'll see to it that everything is in perspective.

What do you mean "extra"?

You know what I mean?

　Those sucking brown eyes were staring at me.
　I suppose that means you shouldn't try to help Lucy.

　What does it mean that he came all the way to tell me that?

　If I tried to help Lucy and failed, Creon and Gapon could hold me up as a traitor.
　So, if they want to set me up, it would be more beneficial to let me perform Lucy's rescue, rather than letting me do it.

　But in reality, Gapon came to me to tell me not to save Lucy.

　In other words, Lucy's custody might be of great importance.
　It would mean that he would be in trouble if he had to rescue Lucy even for one thing.

　If that's the case, he won't be quiet about Claire's keeping Lucy under house arrest, either.
　He'll try to keep Lucy in their possession.
　I turned my head in a circular motion.

　In front of me, Father Gapon was staring at me.
　Then he spoke up again.

'Give it up, Soron the Magician,' he said. Nothing will ever change in this country.

　Gapon said, then turned on his heel and walked away.
　I countered in my mind, "That's not true.

　Just as Gapon and I were about to swap places, Filia came in, changing her clothes.
　However, she was wearing a full gray cloak to hide her status as an imperial princess.

　Filia said, "Here you are," and then tilted her head.

''What's wrong, Solon?　You look scared.

Oh, I'm sorry.

　I caught my breath, then smiled.
　'I don't believe that I can't change the horrors of the Empire,' I said.

'Because there are people like Filia-sama,'

What are you talking about?

It's nothing.

　Filia looked curious.
　Even some of the royal family were as bright as Filia.

　Whether or not Filia should become emperor as Lucy says, what is certain is that the future of the empire is not all bleak.

　Then I can't say that we can't change the current empire.

''Well, let's get on with it and go to the magic school!

Yeah!

　As we opened the door of the mansion, a bright sun was shining in the southern sky.