Even when the mage's name was mentioned, His Highness Astina didn't get a glimpse of our expressions. The upset must have been palpable - but if she looked at us immediately, it could be taken as suspicion. The fact that His Highness is not a good person, we could tell from her behavior so far, that she is not a good person.

　No, at first she didn't want us to trust her so easily. But once she found out that I was not the Second Queen's breath, she didn't give me the benefit of the doubt.

'Well, what kind of magic does this mage named Noon do?
...... That's as far as I've heard from the stories that have been passed around to me. ...... Suddenly, a young woman came to General Alejandro's entourage. ...... But my immediate captain told me not to say anything unless I wanted to lose my position: ......

　As I listened to my captors, my suspicions were renewed.

　That the name of the mage was mentioned - that it belonged to a student who was vying for the lead seat in our generation. I can't be certain yet, but if it's someone that Leslie and I know, it's 'Noin' and his real name, and he's lending his power to General Alejandro.

　A court mage, in other words, is a combat mage, basically a member of the military. If that person is aiding the enemy army, it would be a clear act of treason - I had heard that the defector would be subjected to extreme punishment.

　Sven was worried that the country was in a state of war, and at first he regretted not being able to sign a contract with an elemental spirit. However, he thought there was something even the Stone Spirit could do, so he gathered gossip about the movements of the army in town and told me about it.

(Sven must have been in the same class as Noin. She'd be shocked to learn that she'd been turned by the enemy. ......)

There's a young female mage ...... who's the reason we're here.
'Please hold back now, Presha....... Everyone in the Order understands how you feel.

　His Highness Astina also clenched her fists. If Noin's magic had misled him into allowing the enemy army to invade, it was only natural to feel indignant.

　But I was stuck on one thing. This student called Noin, who had once spoken at an academy assembly, didn't seem to be very complicit in the betrayal. He had said that he wanted to become a court mage with noble determination and contribute to the protection of the kingdom.

(...... Why should I use my real name?　Even if they turn on the enemy, they should be able to use a false name if they don't want their identities probed. (And even though it's a covert operative unit, it's known to the general soldier: ...... I don't think that Noin Flores would be so bypassed.

　The girl was called the 'Jewel of Water' for her well-rounded appearance and her extreme excellence as a mage. Once, I got a perfect score in a classroom exam with her - she laughed at me for wasting my efforts because I couldn't take the practical skills class.

　Of course, just because I tied for the magic theory exam alone doesn't mean I had any room to take advantage. After two years of being a court mage, she must have far more real-world experience than me and Leslie.

　How long has she been in the Zirconia Army? I was going to gather some information, but hearing Noin's name quickly increased my questions.

'...... last question. General Alejandro isn't going to pull back until we drop this fortress, is he?
"General ...... received an edict from the King ...... to attack Rayseneire for a period of less than six months... ...By then, we will have all of the Western Territories of Laiseneier in our hands: ......
My Summoner, it's time for this one to get out of the way.
All right. I'll stop the hypnosis and let the prisoner rest.

　The female prison guard will take care of the rest, and we will get out of the dungeon and up to the ground.

　General Alejandro will attack vindictively until this fortress falls. And we have to move based on the fact that there are mages in the enemy.

The name ...... Noin sounds familiar to you.

　His Highness asked before she mounted her horse to go to the divine tree. After all, she dared not mention it right away, though she was aware of it.

　She said she would fight to defend her country. In order for the western territory to remain the territory of the kingdom.

　--But this country. What if it was already in a situation where His Majesty the King's will would never reach this land and be distorted.

　The graduates of the Silvana Academy of Magic, which cultivates a warrior force important to the country, are being sent to an enemy country through a personal plot. If that was confirmed to be true, even if they succeeded in repelling Zirconia and dropping the enemy's base, they would still be in danger of being attacked from behind.

'If you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I'd rather not know yet either: ......
...... If it's someone I know, Noin is a student at the Academy of Magic. He uses water spirits ...... probably had the help of the water spirits that fill the entire canal area and created a large scale illusion.

　His Highness hears my words and looks at me as if he's looking somewhere far away. In that melancholy profile, I thought that maybe I shouldn't have said it now.

　But faking it won't turn anything around. The conspiracy of someone in the royal family - perhaps the second queen - against His Highness Astina has reached a point where it is no longer possible to extract it.

...... even if they are the mages of our country, they must be defeated. Do what you can to make that happen: ......

　That was when His Highness was about to say. A scout is coming back across the drawbridge from which he was lowered - and he said with all his might, "The message is .

The following is a message: "....... Many unidentified monsters have appeared in the south!　Residents have been evacuated, but the grey ground that had stopped for a time is beginning to spread again. ......!

　The divine Tree, which had been stamping out with the slightest amount of strength even as it withered away, was finally unable to stop its subordinates from running amok.

　They had to head towards the divine tree as soon as possible. If the plant demons were to attack, it would be difficult to reach them - yet, there was no time to get lost.