/
Is this what the room of Archmage is? Seeing him holding the teacup with an innocent face made her feel strange.
His cabin was so peaceful that even the shaking of the waves could not be felt properly, and as If all these sights were fiction made by magic, the reality would be an abyss.
But isn’t the person in front of her is no one but Cesare? She decided to put aside her worries.
“I like herbal tea more than black tea, preferably peppermint.”
“What are you picky about?”
“It’s not that picky.”
“I just said it.”
He replaced Catherine’s cup, then poured tea from the teapot into the new teacup.
“Cesare, if I were to learn magic, I would learn this magic first. The magic of changing hot water into the tea I want. But the taste of tea is different for each variety
 Is such a thing possible?”
“There’s nothing an outstanding wizard can’t do.”
Having said that, Cesare immediately shook his head as if it was absurd.
“No matter how much I look back on my memory, Ms. Catherine is the first one to say such nonsense.”
“Really? I’ve decided on the second magic spell.”
“I’m sure it’s cleaning.”
“Third one, too.”
“Is that laundry?”
How does he know so well? She close her mouth because she expected him to say, “Because we shared our souls,” if she asked.
Instead, Catherine put the truth in her mouth.
“Cesare, how the hell did this happen?”
“Wait.”
Tak. Cesare suddenly snapped his fingers. What is it? She looked around to see if there was any change, but nothing happened. Meanwhile, Cesare beckoned to her as if to keep talking.
“
What did you do?”
“Nothing great. I just put the outsiders brought by Miss Catherine to sleep.”
“Ah.”
It meant that Mrs. Pompadou was put to sleep. Just in case, she looked at the bag and Meow was asleep. One shot, two kills.
“Why is today repeating itself?”
“Repeat? Time can be stopped, but can’t be turned back. In short, this place is just an illusion. A collective illusion that the entire Lilith hangs on.”
“I can use magic invalidation, but illusion magic works to me?”
“You know that magic invalidation is not invincible to all magic.”
Cesare leaned on the chair in a meaningful voice.
How to break through the barrier of magic invalidation? As Cesare said, the method did exist. The most typical example was to inflict a fatal shock on the mind of the possessor.
“Honestly, I was a little surprised. I didn’t expect to see Miss Catherine here. But it looks pretty good.”
Catherine recalled her memories of facing in the dark. That was the only time it could psychologically shock her, no matter how hard she thought about it.
Objectively or subjectively, it could never be said to be a good memory. But for Catherine, these were the pasts that she had already brushed off a long time ago.
“I’m fine. Rather, I’m even more surprised that I was hit without realizing it.”
Cesare stared intently into Catherine’s eyes. It wasn’t the reaction she had hoped for, nor was it a questionable expression, but it was still a glance at her.
“That’s possible
But Miss Catherine. The power of magic invalidation is like an instinct, and being useless means that you’ve been shaken much more than you thought.”
Cesare was right. Simply put, the sudden activation of the unknown magic coincided with the meaning of touching a fragile part of the mind that was like a trauma for Catherine.
“Clear recognition of your mental weaknesses and limitations is the most important training for owners of magic invalidation because you never know how you will be attacked at any moment.”
It wasn’t bad to take his concerns. However, that didn’t mean that the nagging was enjoyable.
“But I have Cesare.”
“That’s true.”
He really agrees with this statement without hesitation.
Well, that’s understandable. Didn’t Cesare immediately notice when she met Giovanne, the head of Busperfield, just a few days ago?
“
Ah, that’s right.”
She remembers Giovanne.
“Do you remember when I met Madame Pompadou? I got this from a strange man then.”
Cesare, who raised his eyebrows, was handed over a business card from her. She definitely remembers blowing it away by the wind, but the next day she checked, it was in her bag. No matter how much she tried to throw it away, it was not thrown away, so she had it with her.
Blue indigo eyes slowly scan the front and back of the business card. It wasn’t a happy expression.
“Now everything is sticking.”
It wasn’t a sweet voice.
“I’ve put my magic in it, so even if you go to visit him without me, you’ll be safe. I won’t stop you, so do whatever you’re comfortable with.”
That said, there was no problem visiting Busperfield.
‘Hmm.’
Until now, she had no thoughts about Busperfield, but when Cesare said so, she was curious. This is because it was famous as a secret fortress that no one could reach.
“But you’re still doing well.”
Cesare’s face looked satisfied at first glance as he grabbed the business card again.
“About what?”
“The attitude of reporting regularly when you meet a suspicious guy.”
Well. Looking back, she thinks it really was.
‘I thought I was a very independent person.’
But when he praised her for doing well, she was determined to continue to do so in the future.
“It seems that after meeting Cesare, unusual relationships continue to develop. No, should I say it was after I moved to that mansion?
“Do you hate it?”
“No. I like it.”
No, it’s a bit uncomfortable to say that she likes it. Still, Cesare had a leopard-like face, so she decided to give it a good look.
“So when will I learn magic?”
“It seems that you really want to learn. How did you endure that enthusiasm for learning?”
If she falls into a sense of shame that she’s not talented, her body will move away from it. However, Catherine didn’t want to show her weak side, so she revealed another reason she always felt.
“Even when Cesare is not around, I have to be able to protect my body.”
There is no guarantee that Damian and Meow will be together forever with her. Besides, Damian will leave again in a few months, so she hoped there would be any progress in it.
“Especially to continue living in that house.”
What if she can’t meet Cesare when a pig-headed monster appears?
Yuck, it was terrible just imagining it.
“Even if it’s not magic, don’t worry, you can protect your body. With the qualifications that you’ve signed a contract with me, you can summon the demons under my true name. With practice.”
“For how long?”
“About five years.”
Catherine wondered if Cesare was making fun of her.
However, he continued quietly as if teaching a child with a serious face.
“Calling a contracted devil— is like ringing a bell. If you have ears, you can respond quickly. But calling an uncontracted demon is like hitting your hand in front of something you can’t see or hear.”
Cesare’s long and fine fingers brushed the corners of the teacup.
“In a word, you have to use your body to bring it back. The example is just the body. In reality, you have to use mana.”
Having to use mana meant that only wizards with contracted devils could summon other devils.
‘It’s something I learned from devilology.’
Judging by the same thing as in the examples, she thought that Cesare might be the author of the Empire’s basic textbook on devilology.
“What about for 5 years to learn how to do that?”
Cesare answered with a face asking as if it was obvious.
“Don’t even think about going to dangerous places and just stay calm in Christopher. Busperfield, too.”
Well. In the early days of learning magic, there will be no time to go to other places to play. It’s okay to stay stuck for three years, so she wanted to start studying right away.
‘Have I ever been so passionate about something?’
“Shall we go back now?”
Cesare set the empty teacup down on the table. Is it time to return to reality? Catherine asked Cesare, rubbing the back of his neck.
“What should I do when I go back?”
“Hmm. Read a book in the cabin— or meditate.”
“—While the Great Devil Summoning Circle is being drawn?”
“Then. Is there anything Miss Catherine can do? Do you want to go and have a drink and talk with me?
No, she have no intention of doing that.
Cesare said with calm eyes.
“It’s nothing to worry about, so you can spend your time as usual.”
There was no feeling of arrogance or a corresponding bloated self-confidence. Because he wasn’t too concerned about it. So it became more reliable.
Grand Duke Cesare is called the Archmage of the century along with Shagweed II.
Catherine suddenly had a question.
“They knew Cesare was on board, so why does it have to be on the Lilith?”
“You’ve already said the answer. Because I’m here. If it’s a crime to be popular, maybe it’s a crime.”
No way, is he joking right now?
“Does it mean there are wizards who can fight Cesare?”
“My power is not as perfect as Miss Catherine thinks. Because human bodies have limited mana that can be used. You can say that this body itself is a shackle.”
She seemed to know what it felt like. No matter how hard a teacup is, it can’t contain a typhoon.
“I didn’t know there would be a separate body.”
“You know, I showed it in a dream a few days ago.”
If its a dream—.
“Is that electric moray eel? Or the white dolphin?”
Cesare laughed as if it’s ridiculous.
“Aren’t I too dignified to think of them as me?”
Then what is he talking about? She doesn’t remember seeing other creatures except the two. —Was it a coral reef?
Not long after, Cesare got up from the chair.
“If you’re bored of reading— come on board around 4pm. You’ll see something really fun.”
“Fun doesn’t mean about summoning the great devil right?”
The smiley face was so beautiful that it was dazzling, but she was also anxious.
“If you’re curious, I’ll see you then.”
Tak.
Cesare snapped his finger.
And when she closed her eyes and then opened her eyes, Catherine was in a room other than Cesare’s cabin. She was lying in Prince Jenon’s cabin.
「Gggr—」
A snoring sound was heard inside the bag. It seemed to be a magic that made it feel like a fantasy through sleep.
She left the cabin carefully, but she couldn’t feel any signs of presence in the passage. Neither Percyville nor Madame Pompadour showed their noses.
“Then—”
It can’t be helped.
Catherine returned to her cabin as Cesare had advised. She opened the book and after half reading it.
‘Cesare is fine, so what’s the problem?’