After Creon left, I thought about it.
　Lucy is being held captive in the basement second floor of the Army and Navy Ministry.

　Creon said that.

　I just wondered if I could believe what Creon said.
　In the first place, is there a prison in a building that could be called the heart of the military?

　According to Creon, after three days, Lucy will be made a dependent of the Demon King.
　When that happens, Lucy's body will be controlled by the Demon King and she will be as good as a cripple.

　Lucy is my only teacher.
　If I can't help Lucy, I'll never forgive myself.

　But Creon is different.
　To Creon, Lucy is just one of his teachers from wizarding school.
　And unless Lucy is used as a dependant to completely resurrect the Demon King, Creon's ultimate goal of reviving Shea will not be achieved.

　My intentions and Creon's intentions are in direct conflict with each other.

　It's safe to assume that Creon told me where Lucy is in order to trap me.
　I don't even know if Lucy is really in that place.

　But that doesn't mean that if I don't go to help Lucy, she will be the victim of the Demon King's resurrection.
　Just like the Sage Arte and Astrologer Flora.

　Arte and the others who were sacrificed at the first stage of the Demon King's resurrection were severely injured to the point of being unable to revive.

''........I see. There was Arte.

　The War and Navy Ministry building houses the headquarters of the Knights of Salvation, and Arte is the former deputy commander of the Knights of Salvation.
　You know the structure of the building to some extent.

　I went back inside the mansion and was greeted in the corridor by Clarice in a maid's outfit.
　It looked like she was waiting for me in the corridor the whole time.

''Have the Salvation Knights left already?''

Yeah. I think we're both done here.

　I decided not to tell Clarice that I was attacked by Ren, the spearman.
　There was no need to go out of my way to say something that would make me feel uneasy.

　But Clarice stared at me intently.

''Solon-sama please don't take it too hard, okay?''

Do I look like I'm pushing myself too hard?

Because if you help Professor Lucy, your enemy is the Imperial Government. I'm sure I believe in Master Solon, but if you're going to help him...

'I'd try to save Dr. Lucy and fail and die. Did you ever imagine that?

　Clarice didn't nod, but she kept her eyes down.
　I guess she was worried about what I said.

　Unusually, Clarice has a faint expression on her face.

'I understand that Solon-sama wants to help Lucy-sensei. But for Filia-sama and me, the most important thing is Solon-sama. So.........please don't take it too hard.

　I smiled.

'It's okay. I won't screw up so that I can die. And it's my job to continue to teach Filia-sama her magic.

...right?

'Yeah, yeah. I have to protect everyone in this mansion, so I can't be dead.

'Yes!　But.........

I wish you would have said "protect me" instead of "protect everyone.

　Clarice looked me up and down and chuckled.
　I was relieved to see that she was back to her usual cheerful expression.
　I didn't want to make Clarice look so gloomy and worried, even for her.

　I smiled and replied.

'And of course, Clarice, you know. I made a promise.

　Originally, the reason I moved into this mansion was to make sure that Filia, Sophia and Clarice were not in danger.
　There have been quite a few more residents since then, but Clarice is still very important to me.

　Clarice nodded happily.

'Yes, that's right. I wanted Clarice-san to come with me for a moment.

Where are you going?　Maybe you have a date or something?

I'm sorry, but he's in the house.

'I'm fine!　Because even in a mansion, if you think of it as a date, it's a date!

'Well actually the place I want you to come is the other kids' room.

Are you going to take me to another girl's room?　Master Solon, you are so mean.

　Clarice said and puffed out her cheeks deliberately.
　But when I said I was going to Arte's room, Clarice's expression changed dramatically and her eyes widened in surprise.
　I explained to her that I was trying to get information.

"Do you think Arte is ready to talk?

I think he's gonna be okay.

　Arte recovered from his coma just yesterday, and I haven't seen the awake Arte yet.

　Apart from the doctors, the two people who are watching Arte and Flora are Sophia and Clarice.
　I'm a man, and the idea is that it would be better to leave the care of Arte and the others to Sophia and the others.

　Now that Arte has become a slave, I'm in a position to protect her as her formal master.
　But to begin with, me and Arte are like sworn enemies.

　There's no way she can fully trust me, and I thought it would be better to have a third party like Clarice to listen to me.

　Clarice nodded, looking a little nervous.
　We knocked on the door of a room in the corner of the mansion.

　There was no answer, so Clarice gently opened the door.

　The room was dimly lit, though the setting sun was shining through the windows.　
　Two beds stood next to each other in the bleakness, with little or no luggage.

　Lying on the bed by the window was Flora, the astrologer.

　Flora had her eyes closed with a peaceful expression on her face.
　She looks like she is just asleep.

　However, Flora was made a victim of the Demon King's resurrection by Creon's hands, and even her brain was severely damaged.

　She hasn't woken up even once since the Necropolis attack.

　And on the front side of the bed, there was Arte, who had lost everything.