2

Kirishiya first moistened her mouth with a small sip of water before continuing.

“Ains-san awakened Darius-san to sorcery by his own hand. And at that time, Ains-san provided Darius-san with enough knowledge for him to awaken.”

If it was a sorcery born from the desire to obtain, then providing knowledge was positioned as the exact opposite of that nature.

That was what Kirishiya found strange.

“That is—”

Just as Lizelotte was about to answer Kirishiya’s question, a voice that belonged to neither Kirishiya nor Mireine came from the side.

“Well now, aren’t you having an interesting conversation?”

Someone else suddenly cut into Kirishiya and Lizelotte’s conversation.

“Who are you!”

Mireine turned toward the owner of the voice and directed a severe glare at her.

The woman who had interrupted them was sitting on Lizelotte’s bed, listening to Kirishiya’s words with great interest.

“Hey, hey, don’t mind me. Keep going. I don’t mind waiting until you finish your conversation at all.”

“That is not the issue! Who gave you permission to enter this room? This is Lady Lizelotte’s chamber!”

“So stiff, attendant. True, I had not been given permission, but none of you stopped me from coming here, did you? I thought that meant I had been allowed to enter, but was I wrong?”

Mireine glared at the woman, who wore an infuriating smile while openly displaying hostility.

Kirishiya also widened her eyes in surprise at the sudden situation, but she was so shocked that no words came out.

When had this woman entered the room?

Since Kirishiya had entered, the door to this room had not opened.

The windows set into the room had not been opened either, and there should have been no way for anyone to intrude from anywhere.

“Hmph. Then leave. I do not fail to understand what you are saying, but that was merely a convenient misunderstanding on your part. I did not permit you to enter.”

Unlike Mireine, Lizelotte was not shaken at all. After confirming the woman’s presence, she leisurely lifted her teacup.

“Hey now, aren’t you being a poor sport? What is a witch like you doing with such a narrow heart? Or what? Have you grown old for nothing, without even gaining any composure?”

At the woman’s words, both Mireine and Kirishiya caught their breath.

By using the word witch, the woman was undoubtedly provoking Lizelotte while fully recognizing her as the Eternal Witch.

Lizelotte took a sip of tea, then turned her eyes toward the woman once more.

“Who are you? With that insolent attitude, I suppose I should at least hear the name of this fool.”

There was no irritation whatsoever in Lizelotte’s voice.

“What’s this? You’re willing to talk to me? Sorry about that. I would have been fine waiting until your conversation was over, but it looks like I cut in.”

The woman rose from the bed.

“Well then, a brief introduction. My name is Lydia. I run the Next-Era Luminaries. Ever heard of me?”

Mireine stepped back, never having expected the name of an organization openly hostile to the kingdom to appear here, while Kirishiya’s eyes wavered in agitation.

“No. I know of that childish gathering, but I do not know your name.”

Lizelotte snorted in laughter, and Lydia scratched her head, looking a little embarrassed.

“If those little ladies over there don’t know me, that’s one thing, but it’s not good for a witch not to know. Maybe it can’t be helped that you’d get senile after living for so many years, but you’ve got to update your knowledge, you know? Otherwise, you’ll be left behind by the times before you know it.”

“Perhaps because I updated my knowledge, unnecessary information was erased. I am not kind enough to remember insignificant small fry.”

“You can actually keep up with idle chatter better than I expected,” Lydia said, laughing happily.

While Mireine and Kirishiya were both unable to move, Lydia did not stop.

“I’ve never seen wine this expensive before! What is this!? Even my big brother doesn’t keep stuff like this at his house.”

Lydia, who should have been in front of the bed, was somehow reaching for the wine cellar beyond the table where Lizelotte and Kirishiya were seated.

“Wha—!? When did she—!”

Mireine only noticed when the voice came from behind her.

It had truly happened in an instant.

Lydia had vanished from before Mireine’s eyes, and in the next moment, she was peering into the wine cellar.

Mireine had not taken her attention off Lydia. She had not even blinked.

Nor had she let her guard down, yet she had lost sight of her all the same.

“…I do not know any magic like that…”

Feeling a cold sweat run down her skin, Kirishiya watched Lydia and Lizelotte, who was enjoying her tea.

Lydia grabbed a bottle with her left hand.

When she brought her right hand near the cork, a corkscrew that had appeared from nowhere was wrapped in her right hand.

The cork was pulled out with a pleasant sound.

Lydia dropped the corkscrew straight onto the floor and brought her nose close to the mouth of the bottle.

“Amazing. So this is the quality of the wine managed by the kingdom’s pet witch. Well then, I’ll have to taste one.”

“Do not touch my collection without permission, fool.”

“I’m serving myself in place of you, since you won’t even offer a guest a cup of tea.”

In the next instant, Lydia had a wineglass in her right hand.

Lydia poured it boldly into the glass as if it were cheap liquor.

At the moment she sat down in empty space.

“Eek!?”

Kirishiya suddenly fell on her backside.

The chair she should have been sitting on had suddenly vanished, and Kirishiya’s body, now without any support, naturally fell to the ground.

Kirishiya grimaced in pain as she looked at Lydia.

Lydia was sitting right there on the chair Kirishiya should have been sitting in.

“Sorry, little lady. There weren’t any chairs nearby that looked usable, so I ended up borrowing yours.”

With that, Lydia crossed her legs and tilted the glass.

The deep red wine flowed down Lydia’s throat.

“Are you all right, Lady Kirishiya!?”

Mireine immediately lent Kirishiya a hand. Kirishiya took Mireine’s hand and stood up.

“Oh! Little lady, so you were this kingdom’s princess. My apologies.”

Lydia said that, but there was not the slightest trace of apology in her.

“So, what purpose brought such a rude fool here?”

Lizelotte placed her teacup on the table and turned her body toward Lydia.