The Technique Taught by Big Sis Doris of Madam Cassandra's Mansion

Jeffrey, who had been polishing glasses behind the counter at Kirk's Tavern, set a small dish of snacks in front of his childhood friend, who was slumped over the counter with a gloomy expression.

"Hey, Greg. Don't let it get you down so much. You may have a villain's face, but I know you're a good guy."

"Sniff, sniff... But, you know... But, you know..."

Greg, whose face looked thoroughly villainous, covered his flushed face with both hands and burst into loud sobs.

"That girl I accosted earlier today looked like she was about to cry her eyes out when she saw my face... I made such a little girl cry, and now I... I feel so guilty I could die..."

"Yeah, yeah. She was so sweet, desperately trying to protect her mistress despite being so little, saying, 'Isabelle-sama didn't do anything wrong.' She totally fell for me."

Jeffrey, ever the smooth talker, was the suave, aquiline-nosed man who had played the Fourth 〈Silent Witch〉 that afternoon.

Jeffrey was the righteous hero, while Greg, with his villainous face, played the villain who got defeated. Since the two had grown up together, their acting was perfectly in sync.

However, although Greg had a villain's face, he was kinder-hearted than anyone and loved children. As a result, he was deeply hurt every time children were frightened of him during his performances.

Beside Greg, the blacksmith Gordon tilted his glass and let out a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha! That little girl was startled by my silent-casting magic. Folks in the countryside don't get many chances to see magic, so she must have been terribly surprised."

"No, Gordon-san, she was probably startled by your enormous voice. What was that 'Kyeeeeeeeeh!' battle cry? That certainly didn't sound like a magic incantation. It sounded like you were performing a staff-fighting technique."

"Hmmph! If you're going to say that, what about the way you waved that staff? You were flailing it around for no reason."

"What else could I do? How many people in this country have ever seen silent-casting magic?"

Jeffrey pursed his lips and began preparing the next dish. Just then, the bell by the entrance gave a cheerful jingle.

The customer was Lyla, the most beautiful woman in the village. Beside her was young Norman.

Norman said, "I came to deliver the alcohol!" and lined up the bottles on the counter.

Norman was only twelve, but he was an orphan whose parents had died in an epidemic a few years earlier. With no relatives he could rely on, the villagers took turns looking after him. Tonight, it seemed to be Lyla's turn.

Greg, whose face looked villainous but who loved children, narrowed his eyes kindly when he saw Norman.

"Hey, Norman. Helping Big Sis Lyla today? That's admirable, but it's already time for a kid to be in bed, isn't it?"

"It's all right. I'll get into bed as soon as I'm done helping... Besides, everyone in the village has helped me so much. I want to repay them, even if it's only a little."

Moved by Norman's earnestness, the easily moved Greg sniffed.

Lyla, who had brought Norman along, sat at the counter and ordered a drink.

"Sigh... There was such a handsome man among the customers who came today, so I tried inviting him over... But I don't think that'll work. My woman's intuition tells me he probably won't come."

As Lyla let out a wistful sigh, the blacksmith Gordon laughed through his alcohol-scented breath.

"Hahaha! Come to think of it, there was an exceptionally handsome man here."

"Oh, he was unusually handsome. He looked like he was used to having fun, so at first I thought I had a chance... But he had such an obvious air of already having someone special in mind. I can tell these things, you know?"

Jeffrey placed a glass of liquor in front of Lyla, who was resting her chin on one hand and pouting, with a theatrical flourish.

"You've got me, Big Sis."

"Save your sleep talk for when you're actually asleep."

"Big Siiiis..."

Jeffrey was actually quite serious about Lyla, but she paid him no attention whatsoever.

As Gordon laughed heartily at Jeffrey and Lyla's exchange, Greg, who loved children, pressed a piece of candy into Norman's hand.

It was an ordinary scene in Sechen Village, one that happened all the time.

Just then, the bell by the entrance rang again.

The man who entered the tavern was not from the village. Nor was he one of the hot-spring visitors who had come earlier that day.

He was a tall, lanky red-haired man dressed in neat traveling clothes.

"Mmm, mm-mm-mm. Sorry to intrude."

The man hummed as he spoke and slowly looked around the tavern.

Jeffrey called out to him in a friendly tone.

"Hey, it must be cold outside. What can I get you?"

At Jeffrey's words, the red-haired man lifted one corner of his lips and gave a sly grin.

"The 〈Silent Witch〉."

＊　＊　＊

Monica quietly climbed out of bed and changed clothes without making a sound.

The room arrangement was one room for Isabelle, Agatha, and Monica, with Isaac in a room next door.

If they had been staying at an inn in a prime location in the city, Isabelle would have been given a room of her own. But rural inns were not especially safe, so they had arranged the rooms with security in mind.

Taking care not to wake Isabelle and Agatha, Monica muffled her footsteps and slipped outside the inn.

(I have to quietly settle things with the village chief while I have the chance...)

Monica had said she would persuade Isaac and Isabelle and settle things peacefully, but she honestly felt that once they reached the meeting, those two would not let things end peacefully. If that happened, Monica would have no way to stop them.

That was why Monica had decided to resolve the matter herself while Isaac and the others were asleep.

She did not know whether she could negotiate successfully, but if necessary, she would have to reveal her identity and settle things that way.

(But where is the village chief's house...? I should have looked for it properly during the day.)

Unlike the city, the countryside was dark at night, and there was hardly a soul around.

Even so, Monica could see a building in the distance with a faint light glowing inside. It was probably some sort of tavern.

As Monica began walking toward it, thinking she would ask where the village chief's house was...

"Young lady, going out on the town at night without an escort? That's hardly proper."

A strangely familiar line reached her ears.

She spun around in shock and saw Isaac leaning against the wall of the building, smiling brightly.

Monica let out a tiny shriek and looked at Isaac with a strained expression.

"A-A-A-A-Aike, wh-why are you...?!"

"You and I are partners in nighttime outings, aren't we? In that case, you could have invited me."

Isaac was smiling beautifully, but his eyes were not smiling at all.

This was a bad situation. Monica darted her gaze from side to side, desperately searching for a way to get through it.

Then Monica, one of this country's Seven Sages, racked her brain and came up with the following excuse.

"Aike, you're going to that pretty lady's shop we passed earlier, right? It would be bad for me to intrude..."

The smile vanished from Isaac's face.

Isaac approached the frozen Monica at a brisk pace and seized her left wrist. It did not hurt, but he held it with enough strength that Monica could not pull free.

A chill ran down Monica's back at the unfamiliar sensation. It was the same as when he had grabbed her wrist in the hallway earlier.

Monica knew that Isaac was kind. She also knew that he would never harm her.

(Then why... why did I think I was afraid of Aike?)

It was surely a fear of the unknown.

Monica could not understand the powerful emotions Isaac harbored. She did not know the equation needed to understand them.

"Ah... this is painful."

Isaac's beautiful face tightened ever so slightly as he murmured.

"Sometimes, I want to make you realize it."

"...Huh?"

"How deeply I care about you."

Murmuring that, Isaac hung his head.

Monica did her best to think, clumsy as her thoughts were.

She had said the wrong thing to Isaac... and had probably hurt him.

She had to apologize. But to do that, she had to understand what had hurt Isaac.

How did Isaac feel about Monica? He was always saying that he respected her as his master. Yes, Isaac respected and revered someone like her.

What must Isaac have thought when that respected master told him, "You're going to that pretty lady's shop, aren't you?"

"I-I'm sorry, Aike! I didn't mean that I thought you were frivolous or anything!"

"...Hmm?"

"You're serious, Aike! You're a wonderful disciple, far too good for me!"

"..."

Isaac silently stared at Monica's face for a while, then smiled as though all the venom had drained out of him.

Even so, he did not release her wrist.

"...Well, this is awkward. Apparently, I'm getting a little impatient."

"Huh?"

Monica blinked at Isaac, her eyes wide with confusion.

Isaac was an exceptionally capable person. He was intelligent, physically gifted, and highly sociable. In other words, he was a natural genius. He could remember most things after seeing them once and reproduce them better than the average person.

And yet, apparently, something had made him impatient.

(...Even Aike has things he can't handle well.)

If Aike was troubled about something, Monica wanted to help him as his friend and his master.

Monica assumed a determined expression. This was the best approximation she could manage of a "reliable master."

"Aike, is something troubling you?"

At Monica's question, Isaac let out a deeply melancholy sigh.

"You remember when I rescued you after you got overheated in the bath?"

Why had he suddenly brought up that subject?

In any case, it was an embarrassing memory for Monica.

Her expression as a "reliable master" vanished in an instant, reverting to her usual sheepish look with lowered brows.

"I-I'm terribly sorry for the trouble I caused you then..."

"Even when I took care of you while you were naked, you didn't seem aware of me at all."

"...Huh?"

It was true that Monica had been completely naked when she nearly drowned in the bath and had been carried outside the bathing room wrapped only in a cloth, but what did that have to do with Isaac's troubles?

Because Monica lacked any sense of shame about being seen naked, she could not connect Isaac's concerns with the example he had cited.

('Prove that Isaac Walker's troubles regarding Monica Everette's actions are valid,' something like that... Couldn't he explain it mathematically?)

As Monica seriously pondered this, Isaac gave a wry smile.

"And then you told me you'd stayed at the Marquis of Hiohne's house."

"...Huh?"

"On top of not being aware of me at all, you told me you'd spent the night at Cyril's house. I suppose that made me a little impatient."

"Um, Aike, Aike... can the principle of inclusion-exclusion be applied to this problem?"

"...Hmm?"

"Well, the principle of inclusion-exclusion can be proved using the binomial theorem or mathematical induction..."

As Monica grew confused and began saying increasingly nonsensical things, Isaac chuckled softly in his throat.

"You seem to have a tendency to think about things too much. I think it would be faster if I let you feel it directly."

Saying that, Isaac guided the hand he had seized onto his chest.

The thump-thump of his heartbeat reached Monica's small palm. As Monica instinctively began counting his heart rate, Isaac narrowed his eyes wistfully.

"My heart starts racing when I'm with you, you know?"

(Is the increase in Aike's heart rate related to this situation and the problem troubling him?)

Monica thought.

First, she would have to record Isaac's normal heart rate and his current heart rate, graph them, then record the current conditions, including the temperature and humidity, before analyzing the results.

To do that, she needed an accurate measuring device.

"I-I understand. I'll take this matter with me, prepare a measuring device so we can take accurate records, and examine it again. So for now, let's just go inside..."

"...So where exactly was my master trying to sneak off to in the middle of the night?"

Monica's face went stiff with guilt.

His grip on Monica's wrist tightened slightly.

After wandering further and further off course, the conversation had finally returned to the main subject. But there was no way Monica could tell Isaac that she had been going to discuss matters with the village chief without telling him or Isabelle. She had a feeling Isaac would get angry if she did.

"Aike, as your master, I want to solve this problem by my own efforts. So... please let go of my hand."

"What if I say no?"

Monica was at a loss.

There were two ways to incapacitate Isaac using silent-casting magic.

One was to send a weak electric shock through him and knock him unconscious. The other was to trap him inside a barrier and prevent him from moving.

But neither method could be used while Isaac was gripping Monica's wrist. If she used an electric shock, she would be shocked too, and if she erected a barrier, she would be trapped inside it with him.

...Isaac probably understood that, which was why he was gripping Monica's wrist.

(If I want to incapacitate Aike and go to the village chief's house... I need him to let go of my hand first...)

But weak Monica could not wrench Isaac's hand away.

As Monica bit her lip, wondering what she should do, the face of a woman she had once met in the pleasure district flashed through her mind.

──A man's weak spots are... That's why you need to remember them well.

Monica steeled herself and looked up at Isaac.

"Aike, I'll apologize in advance... I'm sorry. I know one of your weak spots."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

With a confident smile on his face, Isaac hugged Monica from the front.

Isaac's eyes flew open and he froze. Even so, the hand gripping Monica's left wrist did not loosen.

"Moni..."

"Hup!"

As though to drown out Isaac's voice, Monica stretched out her free right hand... and tickled him in the side.

"...! Ngh!"

Isaac's body jerked, and the hand gripping Monica's wrist loosened.

Monica immediately yanked her hand free and put some distance between them, then erected a barrier around Isaac. It was not a defensive barrier, but one meant to imprison him.

Monica told Isaac, who was staring dumbfounded from inside the barrier,

"Doris-san from 'Madam Cassandra's Mansion' told me that Aike is weak around the ribs!"

"..."

"I-I'm going to go settle things with the village chief, so please stay here and wait for me, Aike!"

Having said that, Monica ran away with her usual clumsy, waddling steps.

Left behind, Isaac muttered, "She got me..." and dropped to his knees.