The guards loaded the collapsed Iris onto a stretcher to move her to the infirmary. Ironically, I followed as her guardian.

On the way to the infirmary, Iris never opened her delicately closed eyes. I couldn’t tell whether she had truly fainted from excessive magical power use or was simply pretending to avoid responsibility.

Late dawn. When we arrived at the infirmary, the doctor who had been taking a short nap rushed out. As the guards moved Iris to the bed, the doctor drew a thin curtain and examined her condition. Meanwhile, one of the guards cleaning up the stretcher said to me,

“You shouldn’t enter the library without permission.”

“I’m sorry. There was a book I really needed to find…”

Perhaps not expecting me to apologize so readily, the two guards exchanged glances, lost for words. Maybe this could be overlooked quietly. When I deliberately clasped my hands and showed a remorseful expression, a loud throat clearing interrupted.

“Since you had your reasons we’ll let it go this time, but please don’t do this again.”

“Yes… I’ll be careful.”

“We’ll clean up the fallen bookshelves.”

“Really? Thank you so much, even though it’s so late.”

When I bowed exaggeratedly, the guard just shrugged saying it was nothing. At this rate, there shouldn’t be any further talk about it. I saw them off with a thoroughly polite attitude until the end and closed the infirmary door. As I approached the bed with relief, the doctor spoke with apparent impatience.

“They said a bookshelf fell?”

“Yes. Iris was underneath it.”

“Fortunately, she’s not seriously injured. The bruises on her forehead and hands are minor. However…”

The doctor swallowed dryly and stopped speaking. Nothing frightened me more than a doctor’s hesitation, so I unconsciously clenched my fists. After carefully choosing their words, the doctor glanced at Iris and said.

“Her internal core is damaged, so rest is the best option right now.”

“…Core?”

“This usually happens when magical stones are overused…. Was there any reason for her to push herself this far?”

Suddenly I remembered Sezan’s warning that ‘you must always consider the side effects when using magical stones.’ I had heard that if the magical power in the stone conflicts with one’s own magical power, it can damage internal organs. And of all things, it seems Iris’s core that accumulates magical power was damaged. Why did she use magic so recklessly to the point of destroying her own body?

“I… don’t really know. It would be better to hear directly from her when she wakes up.”

“I see. For now, I’ll prepare medicine to help with magical power flow.”

The doctor stood up and went into the storage room labeled ‘Dispensary.’

Now only Iris and I remained in the infirmary. Wind blowing through the window gap made the candle on the desk flicker unstably. Perhaps because of that, an ominous shadow fell across Iris’s pillow as she lay turned to the side.

“Iris.”

I sat on the bed while quietly calling her name. I couldn’t see what expression Iris was making with her back turned to me. But thanks to being left alone, I could tell this much at least. She wasn’t asleep. She just wanted to deliberately turn away from reality.

“…I’ll speak comfortably thinking you’re asleep.”

I gently closed my eyes and recalled the snake we faced in Section 5.

“The information you gave about the Python was just a deception, right? I never imagined it wouldn’t be an illusion but a model moved by magical power. To think that the shadow Priest Karl saw at the temple, the shadow the villagers saw… it was all your doing.”

Since she created the form using surrounding objects, there was no need to destroy evidence – she just had to retrieve the magical stone. It was a plan that would have been impossible from the start without exceptional magical skills.

“Because of that, people who saw the shadow are remembering the magical creatures that attacked the village in the past. Is that your goal? To awaken hostility toward magical creatures in people who had finally found peace?”

Heavy silence lingered. The candle’s shadow wavered precariously, mirroring Iris’s uncertain state.

“You said it at the restaurant. That you were frustrated because the person who made your life difficult didn’t know anything. And… that this position was originally yours.”

I took a short breath and shared my honest thoughts to her silent back.

“I don’t know what misunderstanding there was, but I’ve never taken anything from anyone.”

I was too busy struggling just to survive. As soon as I entered the novel, my life was threatened, I met Asrein by chance, and miraculously got scouted by him to escape hell. If any one of these had gone wrong, I wouldn’t be here.

How could I say I took that from someone? I simply worked hard and earned it.

“But if you need someone to resolve your grudge against… do it to me.”

From the village to the temple, and from the temple to the school. I grew anxious as the rumors I thought were simply part of a larger scheme came closer and closer. While the hostility was directed only at me now, I couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t spread to others. So I warned her, for the first and last time.

“No, do it only to me. Don’t try to ruin what’s precious to me using your feelings toward me as an excuse.”

I don’t want my ordinary daily life threatened anymore. Even if I’m endangered, I will absolutely protect the present I worked so hard to obtain. Iris must also have had a reason for using magic until their core was damaged. That was probably…

“Of course, you must have something you want to protect too. So I won’t spread word about this incident for now. But don’t think you can run away.”

I quietly raised my hand and pressed it firmly against my chest.

“Because I have the final evidence in my hands.”

I could feel the solid magical stone I had put in my jacket’s inner pocket. I didn’t know yet if this would be the key to the truth, or just the bell signaling the beginning. I hoped Iris would willingly open up.

“So if you want your magical stone back, come find me when you’re ready to tell me everything.”

While pulling up the slightly lowered blanket to her neck, I whispered in her ear.

“I’ll wait for you in the research lab without running away. …Iris.”

Just as I finished speaking, the dispensary door opened. Hearing footsteps approaching, I deliberately patted Iris’s shoulder for the doctor to see. The doctor who had come beside me said, “She’s fortunate to have such a good friend.”

A good friend… A bitter smile involuntarily crossed my face as I touched my lips. Unlike what the doctor said, right now Iris was probably desperately waiting for me to leave the infirmary. Since she needed time to think now that she was cornered, I decided to withdraw. As I turned to leave, the doctor who had taken out a medicine bottle asked casually.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes. I should return to the dormitory now. Please take good care of her, Doctor.”

“Don’t worry. She’ll be fine after taking the medicine and getting plenty of rest.”

“…That’s a relief.”

With a faint smile, I moved away from the bed one step at a time. Then, drawing the thin curtain, I said loud enough for her to hear.

“I hope you wake up soon, Iris.”

When that time comes, I’ll be able to face the real you, not the fabricated protagonist.

***

As soon as I entered the dormitory, I collapsed right there on the floor. With no strength in my legs, I crawled to the bed and barely managed to lie down. The cramps in my calves and feet showed just how viciously I had been chased by the snake.

It wasn’t just Iris who had overdone it in the library. This was the first time since Bivrint Forest that I had kept Agnus out for such a long time. I had a fever all through dawn and my whole body ached with muscle pain. The fear of nearly dying and the terror of facing something not alive crept up on me.

But the emotion that followed was joy. Though I hurt like I’d been beaten and my magical power was completely drained, strangely, laughter leaked out. I had finally managed to protect myself. Though still lacking, I saw the possibility.

If I get just a little stronger, I’ll be able to protect both my precious people and the magical creatures who help me. That alone was enough. After all, what I needed wasn’t the protagonist’s power or some grand ability to save the world.

When I gradually woke from the untimely fever, the sun was already high in the sky. After washing away the cold sweat with warm water, I went to the research lab with a much refreshed face. When I opened the door, Asrein immediately looked at me and said,

“Tae-oh. How unusual for you to be late.”

“I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep last night so I ended up going to bed late.”

“…Is that so?”

Unlike my readily offered answer, Asrein’s gaze didn’t leave me. Surely he hadn’t heard about yesterday? Trying to escape his sharp perception, I changed the subject.

“I’ve been thinking about what happened at the temple.”

“Oh?”

“Perhaps… instead of being tricked by an illusion, could Priest Karl have seen a model created by magic?”

“A model created by magic?”

“Yes. I thought if it moves with magical power, it could certainly appear like a magical creature.”

I thought Asrein, who was also skilled in magic, would surely know something. And his answer confirmed my thoughts.

“It’s theoretically possible magic, but historically it should be impossible.”

“What… do you mean?”

As expected, Asrein had his suspicions about the truth of the incident.

“Do you know about Hecate?”

Hecate? When I shook my head at the unfamiliar magic, Asrein continued his explanation.

“It’s one of the forbidden magics from the past. During the period when the Karsa Empire was expanding, even poor soldiers from the frontier were all deployed to war. To make matters worse, magical creatures that had lost their habitats came down to the villages, but most people who could protect the villages had gone to the battlefields. That’s when mages devised a method – artificial animals called ‘Hecate.'”

“You mean they created magically moving models to protect villages from magical creatures?”

“Yes. But like now, since there was a possibility of confusion with living magical creatures, it couldn’t be used for private reasons. Only imperial court mages… or those ordered by the imperial court could use it.”

Now I understood his contradictory expression. Creating Hecate was magically possible, but historically should be impossible since it was forbidden by imperial order. However, that snake Iris created matched Hecate in both circumstances and appearance.

“What if the magic to control Hecate leaked outside?”

When I suggested the final possibility, Asrein stroked his chin and said.

“It’s not entirely impossible. Since all the mages from that era have passed away, and even their disciples who carried on the tradition grew old in seclusion… there must have been ways to steal the magic.”

“Then indeed…”

Unless Iris was a mage working under imperial orders, she must have learned the magic from someone connected to the imperial court. Baron Klaus? Or… someone else?

“By the way, Tae-oh.”

Lost in thought, I belatedly realized Asrein had come right in front of me. Placing one hand on the desk, he slowly bent down toward me and asked.

“When do you plan to tell me the truth?”

“…Pardon?”

“You have a different reason for asking about Hecate, don’t you?”

As soon as I met his calmly shining golden eyes, my words got stuck. How… did he notice? I quickly lowered my head to hide my confusion. But a large hand suddenly appeared and lightly lifted my chin.

It was the same action as when we first met at House Ameli, but this time it was much rougher. Unable to escape the domineering touch, I barely managed to look at him with trembling eyes.

“Your magical power is completely drained. What happened last night?”

“That, that’s… how it usually is, isn’t it?”

“Don’t try to make excuses.”

This time he grabbed my hand resting on the desk. His fingers skillfully pulled up my wide sleeve as they wrapped around the back of my hand. His touch directly meeting my tender skin sent chills down my spine. When I drew in a short breath with a gasp, Asrein raised one eyebrow.

“Then explain why the flow of magical power in this bracelet has changed.”

Ah. When I let out a short sigh and avoided his gaze, a languid sigh settled.

“…Why won’t you tell me the truth?”

“That’s…”

I had only planned to report to Asrein after hearing all the explanations from Iris. I thought it would be easier for him to hear the organized version. But his reaction was quite different from what I expected.

“Am I such an untrustworthy existence to you?”