The two of them fell into an inexplicable silence after their conversation ended. They crossed one corridor after another in silence, until they pushed open the final, rather unremarkable door. The afternoon sun, warm with the last days of January, shone down on Rimuru. To be honest, if he'd been somewhat familiar with the teaching buildings where the Department of General Fundamentals and its lecturers were based, the scenery ahead was completely unfamiliar to him.
After all, the Clock Tower had seventy-five large lecture halls, each the equivalent of an Academic City, and nearly half of its buildings belonged to the headquarters—the British Museum. Behind this vast bounded field, the headquarters building of the first department, General Fundamentals, occupied almost the entire museum itself. It was the teaching building most accessible to mages and had the most students, which meant that Rimuru, as a lecturer in the Department of General Fundamentals, had almost no reason to venture any deeper...
Especially since departments like the Department of Creation, which belonged to the Three Great Lords, were located in the innermost part of the Clock Tower, much like the Chinese Academy of Sciences was today.
That said, the truth was that Rimuru had simply never wanted to venture too far in the past. According to the Clock Tower's rules, any student or teacher at the Clock Tower had the right to enter any of its lecture halls.
Even if you were just out for an afternoon stroll, you could go all the way to the Director's office, if you dared...
Once they stepped out of the lecture hall of the Department of General Fundamentals, they were greeted by green lawns beneath a deep blue sky. Students who had finished their afternoon classes were already drifting away in pairs and threes, strolling through the grounds like a school field. The scene sparked a powerful sense of déjà vu in Rimuru. If he remembered correctly...
He glanced at a certain tree. That... seemed to be the spot where Tohsaka Rin and Emiya Shirou would take naps together in the future... right?
Did this count as a pilgrimage to a sacred site?
The fresh, fragrant plaza was actually a vast open area. A few modern shopping centers divided it into sections, while several interconnected districts surrounded it. Overall, it was less a plaza where students could roam freely and more a huge transportation hub hidden beneath a blanket of greenery. It connected nearly all the cities within the British Museum grounds, while neatly avoiding the areas linked to the outside world.
"The entire British Museum area is divided into five districts, each controlled by one of the Three Great Lords or the Director." Liddell noticed how unfamiliar Rimuru seemed with the surroundings and took the initiative to explain in a soft voice. After all, she figured he would inevitably need to learn about these things someday.
"Though there are cities directly governed by the Director, we're actually heading to the Department of Law, because the Barthomeloi Lord is currently serving as the Clock Tower's deputy Director—" Liddell paused, then added, "But you'll probably have to make another stop later... at the Director's office."
"Mm..." Rimuru wasn't particularly surprised. Liddell had mentioned more than once the day before that the Director wanted to see him. He hadn't expected it to happen so soon, but he'd had some time to prepare himself.
More than the vast Academic Cities hidden beneath the British Museum in the outside world, Rimuru was actually more curious about the fifth district, which Liddell had never mentioned: Spirit Tomb Albion, beneath London. It clearly wasn't something he could explore just yet. Even some professors understood Albion only on the surface, having reached no further than the first layer, Mining City, without discovering its secrets.
The legendary land of the fairies, where the entrance to the Reverse Side of the World lay—could it be compared to an alternate dimension?
After Liddell had led him on what was practically a full circuit of the Clock Tower, she hurriedly brought him back along the same route as their appointment time approached. They ran back to the lecture hall of the Department of General Fundamentals, less than two kilometers away—
"So the Department of Law was right next door, and you took me on a whole tour of the place anyway. Is that it?"
Rimuru looked up at the enormous building, decorated with dark golden patterns and resembling a majestic lion. Its dignified, imposing air was emphasized by its antique, slightly angular trapezoidal structure. It certainly suited the usual style of the Barthomeloi family.
"I can understand that you had my best interests at heart... but being late won't exactly help your image as a Lord, will it...?"
He sighed helplessly at Liddell, who looked utterly unconcerned.
"What does it matter?" Liddell clearly didn't care about her so-called image. She rolled her eyes. If the Achelotte family hadn't needed a powerful figure so badly to uphold the status of the Twelve Lords, she'd probably still be touring the country giving concerts!
Who would willingly come here to teach, if they didn't have to?
That's right! Liddell was a super idol!
"Are you sure it's okay for me to go in with you?"
Looking at the door covered in layers of magecraft defenses, Rimuru felt unusually nervous. His past-life education had taught him to face the majority of wealthy business magnates without groveling, but these people were at the pinnacle of magecraft, and he couldn't help feeling uncertain. This world wasn't like his previous one, where money made the world go round. For most mages, aside from the elusive Akasha, what determined their status was abundant knowledge and great power—the things that brought them closer to Akasha.
He wasn't particularly interested in chasing after Akasha, but... by his estimate, his current strength was at most on Kayneth's level. And as for combat experience, he was relying entirely on Great Sage's support mode to hold his own!
"Of course it's fine." Liddell placed her hand on the magecraft authentication device with ease and casually explained, "Aside from the fact that you're a key party to this meeting and need to know certain things, Lords are entitled to bring assistants to meetings."
"But..."
The enormous door let out an ancient, muffled groan before creaking open. The many different gazes within immediately swept past Liddell and landed on Rimuru to varying degrees.
"There really are only thirteen seats, though. They definitely won't agree to let you take mine."
As she spoke, Liddell raised her delicate face and lifted her chin, surveying everyone. Her gentle tone and gaze gradually turned cool and solemn.
Uh... Rimuru swallowed. The aura Liddell suddenly exuded made him instinctively straighten up. He looked into the meeting hall alongside her.
At the far end of the circular conference table in the center of the enormous hall, an empty seat represented the Director. The other twelve seats were almost all occupied, with only the seventh still empty. Flecks of light floated above its soft red cushion, faintly illuminating the name of its honored occupant.
"Achelotte."
The seat clearly belonged to the seventh-ranked noble family: the Lord, May Liddell Achelotte.
"You're late, Achelotte."
Some people watched them, while others rested with their eyes closed. Only the young woman sitting upright beside the seat at the head of the table spoke. Her voice carried an unquestionable force. Rimuru studied her for a moment. Her tightly bound ponytail, strong eyebrows, and cool features all matched the descriptions he remembered, bringing her unmistakable image into focus.
She had to be Lorelei of the Barthomeloi family. She certainly didn't look easy to deal with...
Having received elite training and been raised like an heir in his previous life, Rimuru instinctively began analyzing her personality, the odds of becoming allies, and her weaknesses if they became enemies.
She had a strong sense of superiority and the classic air of a strong, capable woman. That made her seem fairly easy to deal with... but her staunch aristocratic beliefs and principle of putting her family above all else already gave Rimuru a headache.
That sort of family-first personality naturally looked down on other nobles, and there was no reasoning with it. It was like a Black person trying to befriend a white supremacist. It wasn't impossible, but the difficulty was obvious.
Setting aside the deputy Director who held all the power, Rimuru followed Liddell into the meeting hall and began looking around at the others.
"If we'd come early, we wouldn't have had anything to say to each other anyway, right?" Perhaps because she was used to Lorelei's temperament, Liddell showed no fear at all. She simply replied softly, went straight to her seat, and returned the friendly nods of the Lords who greeted her with a nod of her own.
A meeting of all the Lords was bound to involve struggles over interests and factions. No matter how good their private relationships were, during a full assembly they all tried to maintain a serious air and make a show of their impartiality, as if to say they wouldn't take anyone's side.
It was just like people online who began every argument with, "I'm just a passerby. I'm not a fan or a hater." It was fake, but necessary.
As a result, even supporters and members of friendly factions avoided chatting freely during meetings. The Lords could only exchange dull glances or close their eyes to rest, even if they arrived early.
Take the old fox from Trantbellio in the second seat, for example. He appeared to have fallen asleep, looking like an old man in his twilight years and utterly harmless. But anyone who knew him well would know he was the Clock Tower's most unshakable authority. More frightening still, despite his advanced age, he had several wives and more than a dozen daughters. His most famous trait was that his vigor was exceptionally potent and abundant!
In other words... he could go for an incredibly long time, and recover remarkably quickly!
As Liddell lifted her skirt slightly and took her seat like a haughty princess, Rimuru's eyes met the smile of the last of the Three Great Lords.
His heart tightened. Far from feeling relieved, he felt a wave of pressure.
That was Inorai, Aozaki Touko's teacher, and the terrifying figure who had personally insisted on placing Aozaki Touko under a Sealing Designation!
If Rimuru had to name the person he least wanted to get involved with, it would be this democratic old woman. Never mind that he himself belonged to the aristocratic faction: by the principles he'd learned in his previous life, both the Barthomeloi, with their belief in aristocratic supremacy, and the treacherous old fox pretending to sleep were people he could analyze and deal with using the right methods.
Need meant there was room for compromise, a weakness, and the possibility of interference—whether that meant acting like a sycophant, making friends, or becoming an enemy.
But Inorai was different. She was utterly true to herself, someone no one could sway and whose feelings never clouded her judgment—a perfect, cold ideal, almost like a god.
She was gentle, never lost her temper, and always seemed like a kind old lady. She liked shades of green, but deep down, she could sacrifice even her favorite pupil without hesitation simply because assigning her a Sealing Designation was the "right" thing to do.
She practiced politics as casually as she breathed and studied magecraft as casually as she took a walk. In her eyes, anything that was only natural could be done without interference. She didn't even care what anyone else thought or felt.
Even Aozaki Touko eventually came to fear her nature. To Rimuru, a heart without conflict or hesitation like that could no longer be called human.
It was an utterly terrifying monster, one that couldn't be restrained.
So when the seventy-year-old woman smiled warmly and welcomingly at him, Rimuru's first reaction was the terror of being watched by a primeval monster.
Just as a researcher would want to take apart an intriguing piece of technology to see how it worked, Rimuru took a deep breath under Inorai's gaze, calmly looked away, and turned toward Kayneth, who sat in the fourth seat, resting his arm on one side of his chair and watching Rimuru with his chin propped on his hand. When Rimuru looked his way, Kayneth returned a polite nod and a distant smile. Then, at the very top of the table, a plain, dark shadow slowly took shape.
The Director's familiar had appeared. The meeting was officially underway.
This meeting had a simple agenda. Aside from deciding the new students' arrangements and the distribution of resources among the nobles...
Rimuru's assassination was also an important topic.
For now, Rimuru stood silently behind Liddell, coldly observing the dispute as he tried to work out which faction had been involved and which one was using the incident as a weapon to kick him while he was down...
Meanwhile, a girl carrying a suitcase strolled along a street in Tokyo. Her smooth, long hair streamed like a waterfall down her blue dress. A few young men fresh off the subway hesitated over whether to approach her and ask for her contact information. Then the girl suddenly paused and looked up at the blue bird in the sky. "A robin?"
"Alice?" Aozaki Aoko tilted her head. She raised her slender hand slightly. Snap—a crisp snap of her fingers rang out.
The young men who'd been sneaking glances at the girl all froze. The next moment, bewilderment spread across their faces.
What... were we doing here?
The place where the girl had been standing was already empty, suitcase and all.
Chapter 9: So This Is the Lords' Meeting? That's It?
"Then let's begin, Lord Barthomeloi."
The old fox, who had been pretending to doze, was the first to break the silence.
"First, the matter of the funding request to the Magic Association..."
As Bamesero began listing the matters requiring the Lords' collective decision, her forceful yet somewhat indifferent voice filled the room. Rimuru's attention shifted from listening seriously at first to growing drowsy, his eyes blankly fixed on the ceiling.
The meeting proceeded in an orderly fashion. Contrary to Rimuru's expectations of sharp arguments and back-and-forth exchanges, almost all the Lords treated these largely uncontested issues with indifference. They listened to the proposal, then joined in a chorus of agreement.
There wasn't the slightest hint of debate. At times, the atmosphere was so harmonious it was like a casual family gathering—until they reached the seventh item on the agenda.
"An old issue: the appointment of the head of the Modern Magecraft Department..."
Barthomeloi Lorelei spoke again in her usual cool tone. In her eyes, this was another matter without any real controversy.
"If I remember correctly, this is the third year in a row, isn't it?"
Jigumalie of the Department of Curses idly stroked the ring on his hand and spoke without interest.
"If no one wants to take over this department, what's the point of bringing it up every year? My suggestion is that we leave things as they are and hurry up and approve it."
Under normal circumstances, they would have simply agreed and moved on. But this time, an old, calm voice suddenly spoke up. "Speaking of which, I heard Achelotte has made another remarkable move this year."
The old man's words jolted Rimuru. He perked up, fully alert.
Was it finally starting?!
The legendary passive-aggressive sniping?!
"Huh?" Liddell, who'd been minding her own business and drifting off as if she were sitting through a school assembly, bared her little tiger teeth in exasperation. "What's that supposed to mean, Yuri Phis?"
"I heard that Achelotte invested half the family's assets this year in the communications industry and so-called elec... electronic products in the outside world?" Yuri Phis clearly wasn't familiar with the terminology; he frowned as he spoke. "That seems like a good fit for the Modern Magecraft Department. So? Wouldn't you consider taking it on?"
"Heh." Yuri Phis's words brought a trace of hostility to the otherwise somber meeting. The middle-aged man in Gaiusling's seat glanced at the two Lords, gave a quiet laugh, and shook his head helplessly.
Yuri Phis was simply trying to provoke her. The Modern Magecraft Department was so low in status that not a single Lord had taken charge of it. In other words, the place was so rundown that Lords would rather forgo the Academic City and the position of department head than take it over. It had begun with people looking down on the department, but over the years, its funds had been divided up by the other Lords. Its city hadn't been developed, either, and the entire Academic City was little more than an old street. It was even worse than an affiliated university.
Taking over the city wouldn't just mean there was nothing to gain. The new Lord would probably have to pour in a lot of money, because the students' research and everything else required funding.
Don't assume mages never ran short of money. They might not lack small change, and mage families had lucrative patent protections, but consider Tohsaka Rin: one spell could cost her a jewel.
That was why the Tohsaka family could live in a castle and still need to take part-time jobs.
The Achelotte family, on top of being a wealthy coal-mining dynasty, had a talent that other Lords envied: they knew how to make money in the outside world. And they controlled the Department of Botany, renowned for its medicinal herbs—a department overflowing with profit. They had no problem making money in the outside world, even if the other Lords felt it was beneath them. But they'd been eyeing that Department of Botany for a long time!
With the Department of Botany as such a rich resource, Achelotte had no reason to meddle in the Modern Magecraft Department, that festering mess. Yuri Phis probably had no illusions about using this run-down department to pry the Department of Botany away from her. He was only trying to irritate Liddell.
But to everyone's surprise, Liddell raised an eyebrow and nodded. "All right."
"Huh?!"
Gaiusling and the other Lords who had decent relations with Achelotte all froze in surprise. Bamesero had already flipped to the next page of her magical auto-writing record book, but she halted, raised an eyebrow, and turned back.
She asked coolly, "Are you sure?"
Lords were allowed to manage more than one department, but overseeing two cities at once could easily become a weak point for others to exploit. In other words, even if no one went after Liddell this year, taking over the Modern Magecraft Department would mean she had to develop it and invest money in it.
If the department remained undeveloped, she could always abandon it when attacked. But that would damage her reputation as a Lord and diminish her standing to some extent.
If she did manage to build it up, then regardless of how profitable it became, it would be a piece of meat for the others to grab. Surely the Achelotte family wouldn't abandon the Department of Botany?
It was easy to imagine what would happen. Never mind the others—Yuri Phis would be the first to make an issue of it, pressuring her to give up the department. After that, whoever got the biggest piece of the pie would depend on their ability.
No matter how you looked at it, taking over the Modern Magecraft Department at a time like this was a thankless task.
"How should I put it?" Liddell lifted her chin slightly, resting her dainty hand against her cheek as she smiled. "Achelotte can certainly afford to support another Academic City. In fact, that car of mine you look down on could nearly buy all of Sura."
Sura was the name of that Academic City.
It was also the star city of the future Lord Waver.
Still, the sheer nouveau-riche attitude of Liddell's words made the corners of Yuri Phis's and the others' mouths twitch.
So what if she had money?!
The other Lords might not necessarily have fewer assets than Achelotte, but they spent their money on magecraft materials and research. Very few of them invested in the outside world and became corporate powerhouses like Achelotte. It wasn't that they couldn't—it was that they didn't. Their pursuit of Akasha required greater knowledge and a higher level of magecraft. And Achelotte? Their power came from their Witch bloodline!
They put some effort into studying magecraft, but their needs weren't as great as everyone else's.
Just imagine it: while the others spent tens of millions on the materials needed to improve their Magic Crests, the Witches of Achelotte only had to sleep to complete the inheritance...
That wasn't to say the Achelotte family didn't need money. They still had to invest heavily. But compared with other families, their lineage of Witches, who were skilled in making potions, naturally meant they could "save" more. And as they kept saving, they'd somehow wound up with an empire of wealth...
"But..." Faced with everyone's speechlessness, Liddell straightened up and spoke softly. "I don't think there's any point in taking over a department you've already stripped bare. So I gave it some thought..."
As she spoke, she turned to glance at Rimuru, smiled, then looked back at the others. "I can guarantee that the city will keep running as normal and meet next year's rating standards. But I'm quite busy, and I still have concerts to perform, so I plan to give the department head position to... Rimuru."
The moment she finished speaking, Yuri Phis's hand, propped on the table, twitched slightly. He'd clearly had some suspicions already, but he didn't say anything. Instead, Brishisan, a Lord from the neutral faction not far away, immediately spoke up. "I object."
Barthomeloi Lorelei fell silent for a moment before rejecting the proposal. "A lecturer can't be appointed department head. Perhaps you should consider someone else."
"Then move this item to later in the agenda," Liddell replied without concern. "Put it after the twelfth item."
The entire meeting room fell silent for several seconds.
Yuri Phis withdrew his withered, bamboo-like fingers from the tabletop. His already gloomy presence grew even more oppressive. In a deep voice, almost as ancient as the grave, he said, "You planned this from the start, didn't you?"
Before you continue