***

Inside the workshop, Astrid was organizing empty glass bottles.

While Tan, who was relatively perceptive among the Basilinte people, was helping her, the workshop door opened and Chamuka entered.

Tan sarcastically remarked as usual.

“We’re working here, but where have you been and what were you doing?”

Chamuka had left after winning the right to take care of Leti’s meal following a fierce daytime struggle.

Knowing full well that he had been with Leti, Tan clung to Astrid and wheedled.

“Mother, can I go to Leti tomorrow instead?”

If Astrid weren’t present, they wouldn’t even address each other as brothers, just calling each other “this guy” or “that guy.”

“Leti would be more comfortable with me than with him. He’d eat better when he’s with me.”

After finishing organizing the glass bottles, Astrid, who had been deeply contemplating something, waved her hand dismissively.

She was busy worrying about her beloved disciple and found her noisy sons irritating.

“Figure it out between yourselves.”

“Rather than him who made that strange confession—”

“Have you found a solution, Mother?” Chamuka interrupts Tan and asks Astrid.

“Yes, I have. Suppressing Kalia’s ‘fire’ isn’t much of a problem to begin with. It’s an easy task.”

Astrid mentioned as if it were a simple matter what had caused Leticia to suffer and agonize for so long.

In reality, it was indeed simple for Astrid.

Because…

“We just need the blood of a water-attribute magician. Of course, since other magicians can’t match our baby’s magical power, we’ll need to extract quite a lot.”

Saying she had roughly estimated how much would be needed, Astrid gestured toward a box filled with empty glass bottles.

Seeing that amount, Chamuka remarked.

“I don’t think ‘quite a lot’ is the right description.”

Because Astrid had praised Leticia’s talent so much, Chamuka knew how superior Leticia was compared to other magicians.

How much blood would be needed to make up for the qualitative difference with quantity?

Astrid sighed at Chamuka’s observation.

“You’re right. To suppress Kalia’s ‘fire’ just once, an ordinary magician would probably need to have all the blood in their body extracted. And since it needs to be consumed periodically…”

If all the blood in the body is extracted, naturally, the magician would die too.

In the end, Astrid’s mentioned solution was equivalent to saying they should periodically kidnap and kill water-attribute magicians.

However, despite understanding the meaning of Astrid’s words, Chamuka and Tan showed no disturbance.

Rather than watching Leticia extract a cup of blood every day until she collapsed, it was better to just capture and kill magicians. That was the kind of people Basilinte were anyway.

However, Tan pointed out the real issue.

“That’s not really the problem. The real issue is Leti’s reaction when he found out.”

Astrid nodded.

“Right. He has a pure white conscience that hasn’t been corrupted despite being with you crazy guys for 10 years.”

As if referring to some den of evil, Astrid briefly muttered, “Crazy Basilinte.”

Tan had much to say seeing Astrid like that, but he kept his mouth shut.

Chamuka, on the other hand, did not.

“Mother, you are also Basilinte. You speak as if you’re not.”

“I became corrupted after coming to Basilinte. Originally, I was a pure magician like my disciple.”

“Is your definition of ‘pure’ different from mine? Don’t fabricate things by claiming they happened before I was born.”

“It’s true. Should we ask Ferik?”

What would be the point of asking the man who would be least objective about Astrid?

“Never mind.”

Chamuka abandoned the meaningless argument and discussed practical measures.

“So, how will you hide this from Leti?”

There was never the slightest intention to tell her honestly from the beginning.

Basilinte had been watching Leti for the past 10 years. It was obvious that if they spoke honestly, Leti would say he should sacrifice himself a little more.

This was a fact that everyone in Basilinte knew.

And Astrid, being slightly more humane than the others, thought one step further.

That her disciple might come to fear Basilinte, who thought nothing of taking other people’s lives.

Like Isana, who still hadn’t returned to Basilinte.

Astrid didn’t want to see her disciple’s eyes, which always shone with admiration and affection when looking at her, filled with terror. It was unbearable just to imagine.

If it had been like that from the beginning, perhaps it wouldn’t matter, but she couldn’t bear to lose that affectionate gaze she had enjoyed all this time.

That would be true not only for Astrid but for all the Basilinte people.

So.

“How to hide it? We must hide it thoroughly, doing our best.”

“I’m asking about the method, Mother.”

“Let’s say we bought the blood for a price. Collected a little from many magicians.”

“Will that be enough to hide it? Leti will surely know that small amounts from different sources won’t be sufficient.”

“We’ll lie about the number of magicians. That’s it.”

Astrid’s beloved disciple had never been to a magic tower, nor had he seen any magicians except Astrid. Naturally, he had no interactions with them.

Since Astrid continuously brought the latest papers and journals from the magic tower, her disciple would certainly know the level of ordinary magicians.

But the numbers were different.

“Even if a few dozen people can’t handle it, wouldn’t our baby think it’s possible if there are thousands or tens of thousands of them?”

“…Mother, you’re a genius.”

Tan exclaimed in admiration.

Among her creepy sons, Astrid patted the head of Tan, who resembled her and was, therefore, slightly less creepy.

“Yes. Now we just need to fabricate the evidence well.”

Chamuka pondered their conversation and asked.

“What if he finds out?”

“Don’t even consider such a possibility.”

Astrid was very well aware that they were close to being villains from a fairy tale.

Evil, wicked, and without conscience.

But she hoped her beloved disciple would never know that.

It was the pure love of a villain.

***

Leticia easily fell for Basilinte’s scheme.

She could have been suspicious, but her desire to believe that Kalia’s life would be safe going forward was stronger.

She blamed herself for foolishly worrying alone when she should have consulted her master earlier.

“Is Kalia really going to be alright? Continuously from now on? Really?”

The moment they saw Leticia’s brightly smiling face after receiving multiple reassurances, all the Basilinte people present made a decision.

They would take this secret to their graves.

“They’re magicians who willingly gave their blood for Kalia, right? I want to make simple artifacts to send them as thanks. How many people did you say there were?”

“My disciple is so kind. How many were there… too many to count. Haha. Should we look at the, the list…”

…It truly was a secret that needed to be taken to the grave.

Fortunately, thanks to capturing(?) many in the beginning, none of the magicians they had brought in had died yet, but they couldn’t tell her the truth that some were starting to gasp for their last breaths.

No one in Basilinte wanted to ruin Leticia’s smiling face.

Not only that, Basilinte could commit even worse acts to maintain that smile.

And so, several days passed where everything seemed well resolved on the surface.