Chapter 30

On a day off from school, I visited the Greycliffe Mental Hospital. The usual nurse was at the reception. I wondered if the patrol team was waiting in the back room today as well.

When I told her I had come to visit Quintus's sister, she led the way with the key in hand.

"Is anyone else here to visit today?"

I called out to her back as she walked ahead.

"That boy hasn't come for a while. Abagnail comes often, though."

"I see."

Inspector Baker had said that Quintus often visited on the days he caused incidents. Since the day he attacked the Reave family, Quintus has been silent, and now we can only wait for the next incident.

We arrived at the designated room, and the nurse opened the door. The girl was sitting on the edge of the bed, her expression vacant, her eyes following the words on the bookstand. She wasn't reading the book voluntarily; she was merely mimicking the actions she used to do when she was normal.

"How long do you plan to stay today?"

Caught off guard by the nurse's question, I hesitated. I had come here today on a whim. Was I worried about this girl? Or did I hope to run into Wendy, who had come to visit Liam the last time?

"I haven't decided yet."

"Then stay for a while."

"Here in this room?"

"It's very quiet here."

Quiet, but there was nothing to do. However, it felt awkward to leave right after arriving. I could read one of Ruby's novels. I had brought them to read during the carriage ride, but I could read a little here as well.

"Then, just for a little while."

"I'll wait outside the room."

The nurse left me alone in the room. Was it okay to leave a visitor alone with a patient? Perhaps it was because I was a collaborator in the patrol team's investigation that I was trusted.

There was a round chair in the corner of the room, so I sat down. I wondered if Quintus also sat in this chair and spoke to the girl. I couldn't imagine it.

I took out a stack of papers from my bag and started reading from where I had left off.

I had intended to read a little and then leave, but I couldn't stop turning the pages and ended up finishing the entire novel. I must have been incredibly focused.

The story was about a boy who, after growing up in an orphanage, ended up joining a gang of thieves and met with a tragic fate. In the latter part of the story, the boy, now the leader of the gang, faced multiple suspicious deaths among his companions, and distrust towards him grew within the gang. In the end, the boy was framed by the police for the murder of a noble and was publicly executed without anyone believing in his innocence. The gang weakened and eventually dissolved, and peace returned to the city. From a different perspective, it was a story of good triumphing over evil. However, since the story was told from the boy's point of view, I was left with a bitter aftertaste.

This protagonist was like Liam. The bully group had supposedly collapsed and disappeared due to Liam's rampage. No one in the school mourned their absence; it was a happy ending that everyone had wished for. I knew the truth, but what good would it do to reveal it?

Suddenly, Wendy's face came to mind. If Liam's innocence were proven, the backlash against Wendy would lessen. Should I expose the truth for her sake?

I shook my head, dispelling the futile thoughts. Wendy had said that after the school festival incident, Liam was taken away by government officials. This was not a problem I could handle alone. I had a feeling that it involved the Royal Institute and the core of the Averillam faction, making it a complex issue.

Lily Reave, who had killed the other three and pinned all the blame on Liam, would likely never be caught.

Her motive... was it still about bullying Ruby?

Liam and his group's treatment of Ruby was clearly excessive. Lily, who doted on Ruby, had eliminated her enemies in her own way—though it was a bit extreme.

When I used my magic vision, I saw a faint light above Liam's and Desmond's eyes. It was probably an antenna that received commands.

Lily had originally used magic threads to control puppets, but she had adapted my research on magic waves to enable remote control. When Desmond died on stage, I saw a light thread extending from above his eyes to outside the hall. It was the light that appeared when the magic transmitter and receiver were connected.

At that moment, Lily might have been watching the stage from somewhere to control Desmond's body.

Mother's love... huh.

What would Elsa do? If I were in a bind, would she help me without hesitation?

I thought about it for a moment but couldn't imagine her doing that.

Well, I don't expect that from Elsa anyway. It's a strange idea to hope for an unhealthy parent-child relationship like Ruby and Lily's.

...But having someone who is always on your side must be a great source of strength.

I looked up from the stack of papers to see that the book on the bookstand was closed. The girl was staring at the back cover, motionless.

I stretched, stood up, and walked over to the bookstand. The title of the book she had been reading was "The Strange Petra." I think it was a famous foreign novel, and it was part of a series.

I searched the bookshelf—brought in by Quintus, I assume—for the next book in the "The Strange Petra" series.

"Is this it?"

I pulled the book from the shelf and replaced it with the one on the bookstand. The girl opened the cover and started reading from the first page.

"You must really love books, don't you?"

As expected, she didn't react to my voice.

"Is your brother taking revenge on the people who did this to you? If so, my mother is probably involved in it too. What position should I take?"

Recently, the anti-magic movement has become more radical. Is it okay for the 'Boundary Theater Troupe' to continue its activities under the banner of anti-magic? When we formed the troupe, I think our goal was to defeat Quintus. Anti-magic was a byproduct. I don't know what Persia's intentions were, but I certainly didn't have such grand ideas. After ringing the 'Bell of Hope,' we have become the representative group of the anti-magic movement. And—.

I looked at the girl's face. She, who is believed to be Quintus's sister, has unusual golden eyes, but she clearly looks human. According to the nurse, there are no strange features under her clothes. If she isn't a magic person, then Quintus isn't either, right?

There are many rumors, such as the magic person causing the rampage of monsters and Quintus being a magic person sent to the human territory. The newspapers report these as if they were facts.

Are we, the citizens of the kingdom, being indoctrinated with anti-magic ideology? This terrifying thought crossed my mind.

"Elsa—Elsa is my mother, by the way—is a terrible mother. I don't remember having a proper conversation with her until I was eight. But she's not as bad now. I can tell she wants to repair our relationship."

The girl turned the page.

"The Royal Institute is probably doing something terrible. Elsa must be deeply involved in that research. Do you know? The ones causing the monster rampages are not magic people but the Institute. They can control people, so they can control monsters too. What is Averillam planning? What is he trying to achieve by inciting anti-magic sentiment? Why... Why is Elsa... Is she not a good person?"

Of course, the girl didn't respond. I wasn't sure if she even heard me. I could confide in her because she never responded.

"Is your brother a good person?"

The girl's hand paused for a moment—maybe it was just my imagination. She quickly started reading the next page.

"Ha, what am I doing... I'm leaving now."

I turned my back on the girl and started walking. Just as I reached for the doorknob, the hallway became noisy.

"Hello, brother. Visiting again today?"

The nurse's voice. 'Brother'—so Quintus was outside?

My heart pounded. I slowly let go of the doorknob and stepped back.

"You know it's not for visiting. Move."

"Oh, you've stopped being polite, have you?"

"You won't get hurt if you stay still."

"Hmm, I can't help it. This is beyond my job. —There's someone else in there, but don't mind them."

The door was roughly opened. I generated a magic sword and readied myself.

The tall man with golden eyes who appeared was undoubtedly the one who had committed unspeakable atrocities at the guest house. I felt something about his face. This was the first time I saw him up close, but I felt like I knew him well. He always wore tinted glasses to hide his eyes.

"Let's end the detective game today, Roy."

"—Owner."

He was the owner of the Lazda Bookstore. The owner—Quintus—slowly raised his right hand to chest level. I kept a close eye on his movements, not letting my guard down.

The room tilted. I felt a blow to my jaw, and my consciousness faded away.

Chapter 6 - End

If you found this interesting and are eager to read more, I would be grateful for your bookmarks and ratings.