Chapter 70
“Are you the young lady's friends?"
"Yes. Could you guide us?"
"This way, please."
A middle-aged man wearing a dashing butler's uniform guided us.
He had an air about him that definitely felt distinguished.
"First, please meet the head of the family."
And so we found ourselves before a door that was plainly large and old-fashioned.
"Head of the family. The young lady has returned."
"Linia's back! Understood. I'll get ready at once!"
Sounds came from inside the office, and not long after, permission was granted.
"Come in."
Honestly, I had stiffened up a little at this atmosphere, but Aris beside me seemed quite calm.
"You don't seem nervous at all."
Nobles really are different.
So they get nervous during exams, but not in this kind of atmosphere?
"Ah, the imperial palace has a similar atmosphere, so I naturally got used to it."
"The imperial palace?"
"When I was little, I ended up serving the imperial princess in the imperial palace."
Though it was closer to being friends and playing together than serving her...
So the imperial palace is like this too.
We went in through the door the butler opened.
Once we entered, another middle-aged man greeted us.
He wore a white suit and had a rather aged-looking face.
Even so, he was a handsome middle-aged man with a sharp, charismatic glint still lingering in his eyes.
"Oh, my daughter."
As expected, the work was piled high on the desk.
Several quills, ink bottles, and seals were lying around, and the paper was neatly stacked as if lined up with a ruler.
I instinctively realized that all of it was work waiting to be done, and I was scared stiff.
‘I'm bad with that kind of thing.’
I'd done an office part-time job before, and I quit in less than a day.
Studying means learning new things, but office part-time work was just mind-numbing clerical work.
I'd rather run out and smash a monster's head in.
"And the two beside her must be Linia's friends. Nice to meet you!"
He came up to us and held out his hand.
I bravely held out my hand and shook his.
Because of my high strength stat, it ended up being his hand that got dragged along by mine.
"Hah, you've got some strength!"
Even so, he seemed to like that and let go of my hand.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Chris Dreamwell. I'm the current head of the Dreamwell family, and I handle support duties for the imperial palace."
That was how he introduced himself.
I was still making a rather awkward face.
"Welcome back, Linia."
Chris smiled.
"It was nothing."
Their father-daughter relationship didn't seem bad.
"Normally I wouldn't be able to put off work, but now I have a little time. Linia, why don't you come over here."
So we sat facing each other on the sofa in the office.
* * *
"Yes, I'd already heard that three anomalies were taking place in Reinhart."
"Anomalies?"
And three of them?
"First, the news that two geniuses, rare even throughout the entire history of mages, had both joined Reinhart as professors."
"Geniuses?"
The only one that comes to mind is Karunarov.
"One had become known for fair and strict conduct, and the other for tremendous research achievements."
Fair and just, huh.
"That wouldn't be Professor Karunarov, then."
"The very same Karunarov."
Then why is he doing that to me?
Well, he gave me a staff, so I guess that's fine.
Karunarov really is generous when it comes to compensation.
"Is Professor Karunarov really that amazing?"
Honestly, I know he has more mana than most professors.
But I don't really know how strong he is.
Adrian did give me a rough idea, but Adrian's own strength is still an unknown.
"Originally, fifty years ago, the Karunarov family was just a rich house living off old glory."
...So they were upstart nobles?
"Their progress in innate magic wasn't all that great from generation to generation, and there were many who, despite having talent, didn't work hard."
"Hmm."
"Until Ivan appeared."
He said it as if he were explaining something impossible.
"He was always the top student at Reinhart. He's my junior, but really impressive. The professor who was there then was quite an eccentric too, and he got along well with him."
...It's starting to become clear where the assignments he gives me come from.
"Isabel Valentine was exceptionally gifted in potion studies and magic theory."
"Isabel?"
"You'll have to choose later as well, but she double-majored in magic theory and potions, taking first place in both."
From what I heard, it was Isabel who connected James and us.
So that was what she was outstanding at.
"When they all entered Reinhart, it caused quite a stir."
"Hmm."
To be able to hear the professors' backstories.
But just how old are Karunarov and Isabel?
Fifty years ago is the number being thrown around, but even if Isabel is really that old, she only looks to be in her late twenties.
‘So it really is mana.’
Hunters really don't age much.
Maybe those who have far more mana than others age much more slowly.
"What's the second one?"
"The second is that a dragon headed to Reinhart. Well, that's a bit of an old story now. It happened during our school days."
"Ah."
"For now, don't go anywhere near the western forest."
"Why?"
"The dragon race is fundamentally quite exclusive toward other races. You'd be lucky if they only chased you out of there."
"Hmm."
That's something I'd heard before, too.
So maybe that's why Adrian is trying to inject dragon blood into me.
If they hate other races, then you just have to not be another race—what a very violent way of thinking.
"What's the third?"
"The third is that, as expected, Reinhart has produced two prodigies. The first is you."
"Hmm?"
"Your story has spread among the nobles as well."
"What story?"
"That an unparalleled genius has appeared among the first-years."
"...What?"
"A first-year who came out of nowhere and hadn't even learned magic took down a werewolf at the school market and even snatched first place."
Chris looked at me with an interested expression.
The look of someone at work.
"How did you know that?"
"I do work for the Imperial Intelligence Bureau, after all. If I couldn't grasp this level of intelligence, I'd be in trouble."
"You're fast."
"Only the big, important bits, though."
"Father."
"Pardon me. My apologies. Still, just know that your reputation has spread that much."
"So everyone in the know knows?"
But none of the important details have leaked, so it doesn't matter.
"But what do you mean by two?"
As if he'd been waiting for me to ask, Chris's face lit up.
"Of course, it's the rumor about our daughter, Linia!"
"Father, that's embarrassing."
Linia's face reddened slightly, unlike usual.
Still, his daughter boasting didn't stop.
"Our daughter has been exceptional since she was little. She mastered Imperial language by age three and even learned to walk! When she first called me Dad, I was so happy..."
Learning Imperial language by age three is impressive.
But walking is just what any other child does, isn't it?
So in other words, he was a real doting father.
"Father!"
Unable to bear it any longer, Linia finally snapped at him.
"Ahem. Sorry. Anyway, Linia is a genius among our family—one that appears only once every five hundred years."
"Really that different?"
"Have you ever heard about our family's innate magic?"
"I haven't."
"Innate magic isn't something that, in truth, develops tremendously from generation to generation. Its uses are very limited, and its practicality isn't very high."
"Hmm."
That said, Karunarov was unnaturally skilled with innate magic.
"Our family's innate magic is the ability to stay awake in dreams."
"...What?"
"More precisely, it's magic that stores limited information in dreams and allows it to be used."
"You don't... sleep?"
"We sleep normally. It's just that we don't get tired even if we work in our dreams. Our family has been carrying out support duties for the imperial palace this way for generations."
Even a black company doesn't go this far.
A black company at least guarantees sleep.
But this place doesn't even allow that.
"Don't misunderstand. We're all doing it voluntarily."
"...?"
"Haa. Our family is full of people who like working more than eating."
"Ah."
So it's a workaholic family.
"Still, our daughter's innate magic was a little different."
Chris gestured toward Linia.
"It's okay to tell them."
Once he got the okay, the explanation continued.
"Our daughter, unlike us who can only put in and take out limited information, can store enough to fill a library."
"A-amazing...! To develop innate magic like that!"
Aris was amazed.
"She can also bring dreams into reality. With no penalty at all."
"Ah."
Only then did I understand why Linia could use such an enormous amount of magic.
"This was the first case since Karunarov of innate magic being developed to this extent."
"Hmm. But is it okay for you to tell me this?"
Even if I had permission, isn't this still an innate magic?
"If you're a noble family's child, it's something you know to some extent. And we've also investigated your innate magic and know a bit about it..."
He trailed off.
...Karunarov had called it innate magic too.
Isn't there some absurd misunderstanding going on here?
Linia snapped me out of my thoughts.
"I'm a little different from the family. Anyway, my older brother will be the one to take over as head of the family, so I'll live freely."
Chris nodded as well.
It seemed they'd already worked it out.
"Ahem. Sorry for keeping Linia's friends here too long. Enjoy yourselves. We have plenty of books, so if there's any spellbook or anything else you're interested in, ask the butler and you can take it."
"Thanks."
So this is a chance to get a lot of spellbooks.
If there's any interesting magic, I'll take it.
I hadn't really noticed before, but when someone teaches you magic, having a magic book is a huge help.
You could say it fills in the theoretical framework.
We left the office.
"This way, please."
The butler who had been waiting guided us to another building.
Thus, we were guided to the family library...
"I-is it really this big...?"
A building the size of a small mansion stood there in all its splendor.
"Our library is a bit big. Everyone else has been sent away, so feel free to go in."
Linia opened the door and went inside.
Hundreds of thousands of books greeted us.
"H-how am I supposed to read all of this!"