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“Hello, Instructor. Arriving from the sky again today, I see.”
“Hello, Gatekeeper. Please stop calling me that. It feels weird.”

After arriving at the Umravolf residence via aerial route, the same gatekeeper as yesterday welcomed me. It seemed that Stell’s mother had already informed them, as I was let through the gate without any suspicion. While it was convenient, I wondered if this was appropriate for a gatekeeper.

“Madam is waiting inside. She thought it was about time you would come to hear her out.”
“So, just as expected. That’s not very exciting…”

Passing through the open gate, I noticed that the garden, which had been in disarray yesterday, was almost entirely restored. Whatever magecraft had been used, not a single blade of grass seemed out of place. One could sense the gardener’s skill and effort in the work.

“I have been expecting you, Instructor.”
“Hello, Madam. I’m sorry to have troubled you by making you come out to greet me.”

As I approached the front door, Stell’s mother immediately came out to meet me, having sensed my presence. Her face seemed more exhausted than yesterday, possibly due to worrying about her daughter.

“You must have questions. Let’s not discuss them here; please come inside. We have some good tea leaves, if you would like.”
“In that case, I’ll gladly accept your offer. And please, make the sweets exceptionally sweet. It seems like we might be having a bitter conversation.”
“…”

Following the lady, I was led to a guest room where the servants had already prepared freshly brewed tea and sweets. However, I wasn’t in the mood to enjoy them before they got cold. First, I needed to get everything off my chest. Understanding my mood, the lady dismissed the servants, leaving the two of us alone.

“How is Stell doing?”
“It’s not an illness that can improve in a day or two. She’s constantly besieged by overwhelming drowsiness. It’s quite severe.”
“I see.”
“So, is the enemy some relative?”
“…Most likely.”

Though she remained calm, her clenched fists on her lap were trembling. Anger, fear, confusion—she must have been feeling a mix of emotions. Unknowingly, her daughter had been poisoned, and without knowing the enemy’s identity, it was as if her life were in someone else’s hands. Staying composed was impossible.

“I understand the situation, but I can’t accept it. I was dragged into this mess and almost got killed.”
“I apologize. However, I am well aware of your capabilities. Keeping her by your side was safer than having her here, where we don’t know what might be lurking.”
“Why did you trust someone you just met so much? Didn’t you consider I could be an assassin sent by your enemy?”
“An assassin would have been more inconspicuous, wouldn’t they?”
“…I see.”

My appearance certainly made me stand out, which I resented. That warden had caused me no end of trouble, resulting in unwarranted trust and involvement in this mess.

“I deeply apologize for dragging you into this. I will compensate you—”
“That’s unnecessary. Trying to solve this with money offends me. I’m already involved, so I’ll take responsibility.”
“…I am truly sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. I don’t mind. Now, let’s talk about your enemy. Do you know specifically who it is?”
“I don’t have proof, but I have a good idea.”

After spending enough time for the tea to grow cold, I summarized what I had learned from her: the main enemies were “two people.”

Firstly, the head of the Umravolf family had eight wives, with Stell’s mother being the eighth and most junior among them. Because of her position, she had to bow to the higher-ranking wives, but her daughter’s exceptional talent made her a target for jealousy and opposition. In this family, which valued talent above all else, the beloved husband’s favoritism towards a junior wife’s child would only exacerbate the resentment of the senior wives.

Moreover, there were factions among the wives. The first and second wives had formed their own communities by rallying the lower-ranking members around them. In contrast, the eighth wife was isolated and had endured her precarious position for quite some time.

“To be honest, I’ve been served poison numerous times as well. I’ve dismissed all servants except those I can trust.”
“It’s hard to understand. If it’s that dangerous, why not just comply with the higher-ranking wives?”
“Yes, I considered that… But I believe you would understand if you meet them.”
“And why is that?”
“They are not wizards, nor are they parents who love their children.”
“…I see. That alone explains it.”

I had only seen her capabilities once, yesterday, but I could tell the quality of her accumulated efforts. If she didn’t want to yield the headship, I could imagine what the first and second wives were like.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about Stell. She’s currently isolated in a safe place. However, I’m afraid I can’t look after her indefinitely.”
“Yes, of course. But until I can hire a replacement guard…”
“With your methods, you’ll never find a suitable match. So, I’ve decided to help Stell become stronger herself.”
“…Pardon?”

“Magic Crystallization Syndrome can be cured with proper rehabilitation and medication. You initially hired me to teach her my techniques, didn’t you?”
“Y-yes, that was my initial intention… But is it really possible?!”
“I don’t make empty promises. However, gathering the necessary materials is challenging. I would appreciate it if you could use your connections to obtain them.”

“Of course, if it means my child can use magic again… I would give anything, even my own flesh and blood!”
“That won’t be necessary… Do you have something I can write on?”
“Yes, here!”
“What a fine piece of paper…”

As she handed over the paper without hesitation, I felt a slight sense of wastefulness while listing the necessary materials. Some of them were expensive or hard to obtain, but as a noble, she should be able to secure them without much trouble.

“……”
“…Instructor, is something the matter?”
“No, I just wanted to ask you to gather these items for now. I’ll handle the cheaper ones myself.”
“Understood. I’ll collect them as soon as possible.”
“Alright, contact me when you have them. For now, I’ll be on my way…”

As I stood up to return to the guild, I noticed smoke rising and the sound of an explosion coming from the direction of the city visible through the window.

…If I recall correctly, the guild should be in that direction.

“…Instructor, you look pale.”
“It’s nothing… She probably just made another mess.”

…Ah. I should have added headache medicine to the list of materials I asked her to gather.