"I won't go over the benefits of Magic Crests again, but I don't know whether anyone has told you about their drawbacks. The mysteries they preserve, along with the nature of the crests themselves, lock you into a single path."
"Take my own family, the Entpeste family. Our Magic Crest records a great deal of water-based magecraft, fluid manipulation, and techniques for imbuing fluids with life. Unfortunately, aside from the knowledge it contains and a few basic water spells that give me plenty of practice, most of its magecraft isn't to my taste. Well... because some of it is..."
"Not artistic enough?!"
A few people below chuckled softly, but most looked envious. After all, even a small fragment of the Tempest family's Magic Crest probably contained an entire body of knowledge they could never hope to study in their lifetimes.
Rimuru knew he sounded like someone who had never gone hungry, but this was exactly what he wanted to express. "At least for me, the greatest thing the Magic Crest has given me might be the status that many of you feel is unfair and infuriating."
"Because of this crest, I've earned recognition from many prestigious families, the respect of many people, and looks like the ones you're giving me now... full of envy."
"But in truth, if you set aside those external benefits and return to the essence of being a magus—to pursuing mystery and Akasha... I'd rather use things I've developed myself, whether it's magecraft or a whole system."
"Of course, I could also record my own system in a crest, giving my students or descendants more options." At that, many people looked toward Eler at the back of the classroom. Eler, who had been half-asleep, suddenly sat bolt upright, her cowlick springing up as she lifted her head with a smack, bewildered.
Huh? Did the professor just call on me?!
"But clearly... Eler, who loves explosions, wouldn't like my system either, would she?"
Rimuru smiled helplessly. Eler looked from the other students to the professor, then thought for a moment before saying blankly, "I like everything about you, Professor!"
"But I've gone a little off topic. I'm not telling you to disregard Magic Crests. In fact, passing them down is still extremely important, even if you don't care about fame or status."
"What I really want to talk about is the one small drawback of Magic Crests—the way they lock you into a path. That's one of the few advantages you magi have when your crests haven't been accumulated over generations and completely set in stone."
"Why do I say that? Because times change, children."
"The spread of technology goes hand in hand with the decline of mystery. And I'm sure anyone who's studied the Department of Law understands that the pace of civilization's progress is accelerating. What once took a thousand years to reach the next stage now takes a century, and what once took a century now takes only a few decades."
"People discovered how to use steam and electricity, then invented the telegraph, the telephone, the automobile... More and more miracles stopped being miracles, and more and more magic became magecraft."
"This may sound heretical, children, but tradition can be left behind." Rimuru opened his eyes and smiled at Christina. "There's already a subtle divide between modern magecraft and traditional magecraft. But what if, one day..."
"Human technology advanced to the point where it was more convenient than magecraft?"
"That... can't happen, can it?" a few students murmured.
Rimuru gently shook his head. "Magic can record words and transmit information. Why couldn't light? Why couldn't electricity?"
"All right, let's leave that discussion there." Rimuru smiled. "So make good use of this. A path that hasn't been locked can lead anywhere. If one direction doesn't suit you, why not try another field?"
"It's always the times that create heroes, and only then can heroes change their times. You have the future, and I believe..."
"The future belongs to you."
Rimuru had expected a storm of arguments, but instead, silence greeted him.
"Any other questions, Christina?"
"Actually, there's something else I'd like to say. Consider it a complaint about how some of you have been behaving lately." Seeing the quiet classroom, Rimuru raised a finger and wagged it. "I've noticed many of you automatically lump magi who develop their own schools of magecraft together with Wild Magi, or dismiss them as useless failures. That's clearly wrong."
"I admit that inheriting a Magic Crest can greatly improve a magus's abilities, and that passing down Magic Crests ensures the survival of the magecraft world. But we can't deny the contributions made by magi who develop their own systems—or the fact that they can succeed."
"I've always believed that a flourishing age is one in which a hundred schools of thought contend. That's why I've always held magi who develop their own systems in high regard. It's a difficult path, but those who dare to keep walking it are all the more admirable for it."
"Some of you are magi who have developed your own systems." Rimuru glanced across the many magi from commoner families, watching them lower their heads in embarrassment, then shook his head gently. "Or perhaps I should say that many of you have inherited only one generation's worth of magecraft. There's not much difference between you and someone who started a family line of their own."
"I've noticed this quite a few times, so I might as well say it now: you don't need to feel inferior, and you don't need to reject help from your classmates."
"At least in my classroom, I think you're remarkable. You're struggling forward with difficulties most people can't even imagine."
"This has nothing to do with strength or skill." Rimuru smiled gently. "If you're willing, I hope you'll think of me when you run into difficulties with magecraft and let me help you."
"And when you succeed in the future, I hope you'll proudly say that a professor named Rimuru once taught you."
"Well, I'm sorry I turned this class into a speech, but time's up. So I'll just say..."
"Class dismissed."
The crowd scattered like flowing water. Christina quietly picked up her textbook and looked back. The four-person group that had been causing a stir for the past few days was now waiting silently at the door.
"What are you going to do?" Before Christina even reached them, she heard Mona's bright, warbling voice. "I don't really agree with Professor Rimuru, but now I understand why Amosdon and the others want you to inherit the Magic Crest so badly. Are you really not going to consider it?"
"So you've changed sides?" Christina lightly tapped her forehead, then turned to the other three. "What about you? What do you think?"
Amosdon was the genius magus who had once frozen the cup in front of Christina solid. The other young man was the blond boy who had been looked down on by Amosdon at first, though he was not to be underestimated. His personality was a little frivolous, and he came from a minor family in the Gaiusling faction. Unlike Amosdon, whose talent lay in transforming the properties of things, the blond boy knew nothing about the distortion involved in turning water into ice. But when it came to controlling fluids—in other words, plain water—his skill was impeccable. He excelled at using water's endless variations and cutting power to launch unpredictable, shifting attacks. Of the group, his magecraft theory and workshop combat skills were the worst, but his ability to fight one-on-one was the most terrifying. He was also the most battle-hungry.
According to him, even his father sometimes suspected he was an Executor rather than a magus!
Because his family belonged to the Gaiusling faction, he knew more about Rimuru than the others. He knew Rimuru's water-based magecraft wasn't just flashy, and that the Mystic Code Wuyin fit his own system perfectly. He had desperately wanted Rimuru to take him on as a student, but with Rimuru's student list already reaching as far as Sakura, who hadn't even been born yet, Rimuru had no intention of taking on disciples. That had led him to start hanging around the little group of assistants closest to Rimuru.
And his name was...
####
"An interesting argument."
The Academic City of the Department of Spiritual Evocation was filled with religious buildings steeped in mystery, their atmosphere cold and eerie.
In front of a rack lined with the spirit mediums needed for Spirit Evocation, several unknown spirits wailed as they hurled themselves around inside a container. Behind it, Yufilis's withered face, old and gloomy like that of a necromancer, spoke as if the thought had just occurred to him. "It's not that magi are too traditional. Magecraft itself is tradition."
"True. He isn't the only one who claims to support the Department of Modern Magecraft, but so far, hardly anyone has actually gone there to take over that mess." A clear voice came from the doorway, continuing with a guess. "He's probably doing it to win the support of commoner students by proxy. I can see the ambition and arrogance buried in his bones."
"We're cut from the same cloth, but he seems a little more patient—"
"Tempest has experiences you lack, Kayneth." Yufilis slowly turned around and furrowed his brow as he cleared away the spirits that had been obliterated. "And now that you've inherited El-Melloi... you're even less likely to gain them."
At that, Kayneth raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He knew what kind of experience his mentor meant: the fall and decline of a family.
To be frank, though, if Rimuru hadn't shown enough decisiveness and skill to earn Kayneth's respect, he would have thought that anyone who let their family fall into decline was simply a failure and a fool.
A trace of coldness flashed across Yufilis's face, as weathered as a piece of old wood. No one could remain successful forever. Kayneth was too sharp-edged, and his approach to things was almost the opposite of Rimuru's. The two men shared the same competitiveness and drive to succeed, deep down, but when they went up against each other... Yufilis still thought Kayneth might suffer a small setback.
After all... pride came before a fall.
So be it. Kayneth wouldn't listen to any of that now. Although he was conceited, he had good reason to be. Yufilis still had high hopes for his gifted student.
Besides... the Tempest family faction was now part of the aristocratic faction. They weren't necessarily enemies. It was just that they were too close to Achelotte, which might undermine his absolute leadership.
"I didn't expect him to become a professor so easily... The three great nobles must have reached some agreement behind my back." Yufilis's gloomy voice echoed around the room. "I had planned to give him a little support and win his favor, but now that seems much less important."
It was rather ironic. Of the three families that headed the Twelve Lords, two belonged to the democratic faction. The only one in the aristocratic faction, the Barthomeloi family, had distanced itself from aristocratic rule to maintain its neutrality, serving as the Director's assistant.
Even so, that was exactly why Yufilis had been able to take the position of leader of the aristocratic faction. And the democratic faction could hold its own against him thanks to those two great families. So Yufilis was still rather puzzled.
Why had those two old foxes so readily supported Rimuru Tempest's proposal, leaving him as the only obstacle and the villain?
In the end, his approval hadn't earned him any goodwill by helping things along. It had just made him look like he'd been forced into it by the situation... Ah, the more Yufilis thought about how the other two old foxes had outmaneuvered him, the more his teeth ground together.
A favor given in good times was nothing compared to one given in a crisis.
Yufilis finally finished his not-quite-unsuccessful research. As he turned and walked toward Kayneth, he decided to stop discussing Rimuru and abruptly changed the subject. "Come with me to the Grand Resolution this time."
"It would be my honor, teacher." Kayneth nodded. Although he had the right to attend the Grand Resolution himself, going with someone was obviously different from going alone.
The two left the lecture hall one after another. Outside, a ghostly carriage enhanced by magecraft was already waiting. It was worth noting that the Department of Spiritual Evocation was a large department, much like a university biology department with a dozen smaller fields beneath it. Its branches included the familiar summoning and necromancy departments, along with every field related to summoning and spirit evocation. Some even included the familiar department and the study of enslaving Phantasmal Species—an area that clearly overlapped with the Department of Zoology.
The Grand Resolution was being held at the top of the British Library, at the farthest edge of the Department of Law's lecture halls. It was quite a distance from his Academic City, but Yufilis clearly wasn't used to riding in cars.
Kayneth helped Yufilis lift the carriage curtain, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "I heard Minister Sophelia got into trouble?"
"Ah, that happened a few days ago." Yufilis opened his half-white eyes and thought for a moment. "Even her Magic Crest was sent back."
"Does that mean... the position of Minister of the Department of Spiritual Evocation is vacant?"
"What, are you interested?" Yufilis slowly shook his head. "The El-Melloi Faction already controls the Department of Mineralogy. If you became minister of the Department of Spiritual Evocation as well, Gaiusling and Achelotte would never agree. With the Grand Resolution coming up, we'd better not stir up any trouble."
Before Kayneth could reply, Yufilis continued, "The Director's plan is for me to take over as head of the Department of Spiritual Evocation. That way, there won't be any need to hold another Lord's meeting."
"I see. That was what I expected." Kayneth smiled. "I didn't really have anything in mind. I was only thinking that if I had the chance to get involved, El-Melloi would be willing to give up the Department of Mineralogy in exchange for taking over as head of the Department of Spiritual Evocation—"
"...El-Melloi—or rather, you—certainly know how to play your cards." Yufilis closed his eyes. The El-Melloi Faction was deepening its ties with both Tempest and Achelotte while also trying to strengthen its relationship with him.
So he wanted to bet on both sides and have it all?!
"Still, it's not impossible..." Yufilis suddenly opened his eyes. The Department of Spiritual Evocation couldn't possibly go to the El-Melloi Faction... but hadn't Minister Sophelia had a daughter?
Meanwhile, in Cornwall, White Knight Rimuru finally received an unmarked envelope.
The envelope was empty except for a sheet of paper bearing a single sentence in German, written in blood.
"The Grand Resolution has begun."
So it had begun.
Rimuru smiled faintly. Flames flared in his hand, burning the letter and envelope to ash. Altrouge, who was sitting nearby and elegantly drinking red tea mixed with blood, turned her head and asked curiously, "Who sent you a message like that?"
"Get ready to leave. We're going to Germany." Rimuru smiled. "They're more patient than I thought."
Altrouge froze, then bared her teeth. "White Winged Duke sent that to you?! I'm not going! Let him come to Cornwall. I'll make sure he never leaves!"
"Don't be difficult..." Rimuru helplessly pointed at the red tea in front of her. "Two cups of blood-red tea."
At that, Altrouge's face fell, and she looked conflicted.
Ever since Rimuru had angered her the last time, he'd been making her a cup of tea mixed with his own blood every day to appease her. He'd spoiled her palate—though as the King of the Dead Apostles, with the blood of a True Ancestor, she didn't need to drink blood to sustain herself. But... but... it really was delicious!
"Didn't you promise to go with me? A princess wouldn't go back on her word, would she?" Seeing her wavering, Rimuru pressed his advantage.
"? I agreed to go to Austria!" Altrouge protested. "I never said I'd go to Germany. Hmph, that's their territory. What if we can't get back? It's dangerous..."
"...Then what were you doing wandering around Germany before?!" Rimuru said, scowling. "Fine. Five cups. Take it or leave it."
"You're so stingy... Fine, deal. Let me finish this first..." Altrouge matter-of-factly flopped back down onto the table, ready to enjoy her rare afternoon tea. Then she suddenly felt herself being lifted. The table in front of her moved farther and farther away.
"Huh?!"
Altrouge looked up in a daze at her body, floating in midair. Rimuru had just casually picked her up?!
"Ahhhhh! I'm going to kill you!!"
"We have to leave right away, understand?!"
"I don't care! I'm going to kill you!!"
"..." Rimuru stared speechlessly at the flailing Princess of the Black, then suddenly paused. "You know, you're kind of cute like this."
"K-kill you... Huh?" Altrouge froze again. A faint blush crept over her face, and, strangely enough, she fell quiet.
Hmm... As he watched the princess hanging obediently from his hand, Rimuru suddenly realized a fundamental truth.
Clearly, the way to a girl's heart was to compliment her!
The start of the Grand Resolution didn't seem to affect Rimuru the magus all that much. After all, it was a confidential meeting for the highest echelons. Every magus knew about the Grand Resolution, but very few could attend, so most magi were only interested in the outcome. Some hadn't even noticed when it began.
If Rimuru hadn't been sharp enough to notice that many Executors from the Church had suddenly appeared in London, along with clearly identifiable members of other organizations—Alchemists from Atlas Academy, for instance—he might not have realized that the Grand Resolution had already begun.
Amid the grim ranks of Executors, several Popes exchanged nods and slowly took their seats as invitees. There, an individual long known as a rebel sat with her legs crossed, wearing a cold smile as she watched the "important figures" file through the doorway.
Especially when Inorai Valuleta appeared—
"Well, hello! Long time no see, sensei!"
"Aozaki... Touko." The elderly woman, who had entered alongside Barthomeloi and the others, froze slightly. Seeing Aozaki Touko, she smiled as kindly as ever. "I didn't expect you to come."
After all, Aozaki Touko was still under a Sealing Designation. However, as one of the few Grand-ranked figures, the immortal doll-maker was eligible to be invited by the Magic Association. And since this meeting concerned the conflict between Dead Apostles and magi, its main topic was whether to cooperate with the Church and jointly oppose the Dead Apostles. The Magic Association had sent invitations to nearly every magus who could be considered top-tier or representative of their kind.
Judging by the looks of things, Aozaki Touko was the only representative under a Sealing Designation who had come.
Because she was immortal, she was one of the few who dared to attend the Grand Resolution without fear of consequences.
"Ah, they invited me, so I came. It sounded like it would be interesting, didn't it?" Aozaki Touko narrowed her eyes and smiled. "I heard they invited my little sister too—but she turned them down because of me?"
The proposal to invite a Magician had originally been intended to bring in Zelretch, one of the Dead Apostle Ancestors. But since this meeting was about cooperation with the Church, the Church's stance was also crucial. So they had invited the Magician Aozaki Aoko instead, as a reluctant compromise.
However, when Aozaki Aoko heard that Aozaki Touko would also be attending, she had flatly refused to come to what was supposedly the highest-level meeting—one that no magus could turn down. The Magic Association couldn't say a thing about it, either. The meeting required magi to set aside their grudges and prejudices and work together toward a solution, but that was a family matter, so it wasn't their place to judge. More importantly, she was a Magician. The Magic Association would have to be pretty bold to issue her a Sealing Designation!
Go on, then!
In response to Aozaki Touko's gleeful taunt, Inorai only smiled and gently shook her head. Then she followed the others ahead of her and took a seat farther inside. As one of the three great nobles, her seat was among the innermost ones, a place that declared her lofty standing.
After several centuries of evolution, the Clock Tower had long been accepted by magi as the headquarters of the Magic Association. The Wandering Sea and Atlas Academy had instead been pushed to the margins. Even so, they still retained their seats beside those of the three great noble families.
Before you continue