Chapter 125
Characters
Monica Everett (19)
She tried putting grown-up consideration (?) into practice for her disciple, but fell asleep. When she woke, it was a bright, beautiful morning.
The next day, her disciple properly reheated the meat she’d marinated in sauce.
“Th-this wasn’t supposed to happen...” the still-inexperienced master lamented, clutching her head.
Isaac Walker (22)
The sparkling prince who could use an extra pair of hands still has no idea who Anthony and his brothers really are.
Nero
Worgan’s black dragon thinks the other man is a cool spy.
Having his tail stroked the wrong way touched a sore spot, and he ran away from home afterward.
Louis Miller (29)
A 29-year-old father of one who spent his precious vacation dressing as a woman night after night.
He mostly kept to the shadows, since he’d be found out in a well-lit place. But on the first day, he traveled during daylight and was spotted by Einhardt.
When he was young, he hunted dragons like mad to save up for his dream home. As a result, he ranks second in history for solo dragon kills.
Lionel Brem Eduard Ridill (29)
A kind-hearted golden gorilla. First Prince of the Kingdom of Ridill.
He was Louis’s classmate at Minerva. He studied magic there, too, but isn’t particularly good at it.
He’s bad at political maneuvering, but a first-rate warrior. He’s strong enough to hold down a former delinquent who’s completely lost his temper.
Einhardt Berger (26)
Third son of the House of Morgenstein, one of the Empire’s Four Great Houses. His brothers envied how capable he was and how easily he navigated society, and they tried to kill him time and again from a young age. He figured his brothers would give up if he became a good-for-nothing delinquent, so he started going out at night—and it turned out to suit him surprisingly well.
A man who gets carried away easily and gets the cold shoulder most from the people he likes. Lionel’s kindness really gets to him.
Tsetsilia Charlotte Phoebe Kreving (20)
The Black Lion Emperor’s half-sister. Though she’s descended from the ducal house entrusted with the ancient magical artifact, the “Mirror of Bern,” the mirror rejected her. She’s lived while concealing that fact from those around her.
Her hobby is lace-making. Keeping her hands busy in silence puts her heart at ease.
Kaspar Hütter (32)
A talented mage ranked among the Empire’s top thirty. Known as the 〈Dream Mage〉.
His younger sister Mia isn’t related to him by blood. Since she was so much younger, he doted on her like a daughter.
Leonhardt Alois Maximilian Berndt Kreving (30)
The shrewd Black Lion Emperor. He appointed Monica, Ridill’s own hapless genius girl, as Karina’s guard solely to keep the Empire’s hapless genius girl’s identity from being exposed.
The latest incident was this year’s fourth coup.
“So what?! When I’d only just ascended the throne, there were three coups a month!”
Karina Bahl (19)
Bahl of the 〈Divine Eye〉, one of the Empire’s Four Great Magic Artisans.
The Empire’s hapless genius girl. The same goes without saying for Ridill’s side.
She was once arrested in the Empire’s slums for making counterfeits as she was told, then taken in by the Emperor.
Helmfried Korvitz (40)
Korvitz of the 〈Fairy’s Finger〉, one of the Empire’s Four Great Magic Artisans.
A genius at weaving magical formulae into embroidery and lace. His creations are said to be works of art you can wear.
He cherishes his creations like daughters, and berates anyone who treats them carelessly until their spirit is broken.
When he sees a lovely design or finishes a piece, he silently performs a mysterious dance.
An embroidery-and-lace-loving old man whose words and actions ruin his intellectual appearance.
Melissa Roseberg (26)
Former member of the Seven Sages. Fourth-generation 〈Thorn Witch〉.
She switches between “Shorty,” “Moni-Moni,” and “Monica-chwaaaan” according to pure feeling.
Raul Roseberg (21)
One of the Seven Sages. Fifth-generation 〈Thorn Witch〉.
While waiting at the castle, he busily worked the flower beds.
The Imperial envoys have completely mistaken him for the gardener guy.
“Hey there, are you lost? Then I’ll show you around! Oh, and the castle toilets are amazing, so you should definitely check them out!”
Ray Albright (23)
One of the Seven Sages. Third-generation 〈Deep Abyss Sorcerer〉.
After the meeting of the Seven Sages’ three youngest members, he sat by himself, blushing and thinking, “...Wait, did I just brag about my love life today? Was that bragging? It counts as bragging, right? Me, bragging... Heh.”
Frida Blanke (20)
Ray’s fiancée. After learning that the 〈Silent Witch〉 once handled the Albright family’s books, she secretly wants to ask her for tips.
“These are splendid ledgers.”
Anthony Winkel (28)
The eldest of the five Winkel brothers. Everyone’s dependable big brother.
He plans to remain in Southdoll for a while to handle the various matters that need settling.
His unit often has the job of charging straight into the enemy on the front lines. It used to suffer many casualties, but since Anthony took command, it has boasted zero deaths in the line of duty.
His subordinates are very fond of him, but the higher-ups find him troublesome. That’s part of why he can’t return home right away.
He doesn’t mind at all and is enjoying the time he gets to spend with his younger brothers.
Michel Winkel (25)
The second of the five Winkel brothers. A playful but caring big brother.
He’s the type of second son with both older and younger siblings: he shows respect to his elders, but can’t help looking after those younger than him.
He knows his older brother is a nuisance to the higher-ups, and is quietly working behind the scenes in various ways.
Theodore Winkel (20)
The fourth of the five Winkel brothers. A laid-back, easygoing big brother.
Right up until he went to that drinking party, he’d been holding a whip and conducting some brutal interrogations.
Clifford Anderson (23)
The day after that drinking party, he told Lana, “Walker’s a slender-armed gorilla,” and she gave him a thorough scolding: “How could you say something like that about Mr. Walker!” He still doesn’t get it.
Q: I’d like to know where the characters’ names come from.
Most of the characters’ names were chosen more or less at random, but some were picked because of their origins.
Isaac, Cyril, and Louis are a few of those.
Cyril’s name was given to him by his late father. It has an origin that seems like it’d make life as a commoner difficult.
I think it’s lovely that Louis has a name that could belong to a woman, yet its origin is all about being ready to fight.
Q: That Anderson guy who appears in “The Amnesiac Army Doctor...” Could he possibly be...?
He’s a relative of Clifford’s. Many members of the Anderson family use ice magic, and they have relatives in places like the Mage Association and research institutes, so the family has connections throughout the magical community. That’s one of the reasons Isaac wants to build a connection with Clifford.
This is completely beside the point, but Clifford has a lot of young relatives. Every time he shows up at a family gathering, the kids beg him for pocket money. “Uncle Clifford, can we have some pocket money?” “No.”
Q: I’d like to see a “meanwhile...” sort of story about Cyril-sama and the fluffies.
Cyril is always the least eventful character in those “Meanwhile...” stories.
Being a serious guy, he’s usually studying or working.
Q: What about the other one of the two feminine-faced men? Doesn’t he cross-dress?
Monica keeps loudly protesting, “Cyril-sama is a man!”
Q: What’s going to happen to Ike? I’m so anxious I can’t sleep at night.
Have faith in the mental fortitude of the man who kept stuffing his face even when he was about to be executed.
The cold days are continuing, so please keep warm and get plenty of rest.