The boy with sea-green hair sat in the private booth, propping his cheek with clear annoyance, his fingers tapping an impatient tap-tap-tap on the table.
"Find that new student who defeated Magnus and establish cooperation?"
He crossed his arms, thoroughly displeased.
"Such a sudden order. I've had no time to prepare at all."
His muttered complaint was precisely caught by the butler standing nearby.
Running a hand through his slicked-back silver-white hair, the butler offered a wry smile but said nothing.
The sea-green-haired boy grew even more irritable, slumping back against his chair. "More to the point, why is the Headmaster so interested in a mere freshman?"
"It was just a chance encounter where he got the upper hand over Magnus, that's all."
He clenched his fist, a fierce scowl on his face.
"If it were a proper duel with both sides prepared, who knows who would've won."
The butler standing silently nearby let out a soundless chuckle, speaking softly.
"Forgive my bluntness, but isn't it simply that you're unhappy a freshman has caught the Headmaster's attention?"
"Tch." A distinct click of tongue echoed in the room.
The boy shot an annoyed glance at the butler. "Is the report on their skirmish ready?"
"The fight was over in an instant, and I wasn't even present at the time. This report..."
"What, can't write it if you didn't see it?"
"...My apologies."
"Hmph."
The sea-green-haired boy snorted, crossed his arms tighter, and turned his face away.
"Later, find some students who were around, see if anyone can..."
Before he could finish, a strange impulse surged within him.
Why... did he suddenly want to leave this place?
Frowning, the boy looked around.
This urge... was it someone's magecraft?
He released the magical energy within him, ready to resist the compulsion.
But before he could mount a defense, the impulse in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
Damn it, I'm about to...
Just as he couldn't help but start to rise, a surge of magical energy erupted from his heart.
The sudden burst of power instantly expelled the suggestive influence from his mind.
Is the magecraft over?
Unaware of the sudden appearance of the energy within him, the boy assumed the invading magecraft had simply ended.
He quickly steadied himself and looked at his butler.
"Shin, are you alright?"
"...I'm fine."
The butler, also seeming somewhat dazed, was holding his forehead.
"Whose magecraft was that?" The boy sprang to his feet, scanning the room, trying to find any lingering traces of the spell.
But no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find a single trace of magical residue.
Uneasy and suspicious, he looked around, his fingers resting on Shin beside him, ready to channel magical energy at a moment's notice.
The room itself couldn't be the problem; he'd been here since before he sent out the invitations.
The boy frowned, studying their surroundings with a strange feeling.
"Shin, do you notice anything unusual around us?"
"...I have not noticed anything, young master," came Shin's puzzled reply.
His butler's words offered the boy no comfort.
Even though Shin said there was nothing abnormal, his intuition screamed that something had changed.
Nothing had appeared inside the room, and the quiet outside was the same as before...
Quiet?
The students had no classes today. How could this dining hall be so silent?
The school's private booths were soundproofed, but not completely.
He could faintly hear the students talking outside before, but now there was no sound at all.
The boy's magical energy began to swirl around him, his gaze turning grave as he stared at the door.
"Shin, go out and che—"
Before the words left his mouth, the booth door was pushed open gently.
A black-haired girl appeared in the boy's line of sight.
Alice, holding a girl with long, pale blonde hair, walked slowly into the booth, a silver-haired maid closely following behind.
She glanced slightly at the stunned boy and walked steadily to the seat opposite him.
Volumen Hydragyrum stepped forward and pulled out the chair. Alice sat down gracefully.
The sea-green-haired boy and Shin both looked towards the door. The previously noisy restaurant was now completely empty.
This bizarre scene sent a cold sweat down the boy's back.
He struggled to control his trembling fingers.
Is this... that new student?
Meanwhile, back in Alice's dorm room, the chess piece placed upon the Mirror of Slumber glowed with a faint light.
This was Alice's Ploy, the Nameless Forest.
It required the Mirror of Slumber to act as a map, with this Ploy placed upon it, to form the Nameless Forest.
Anyone entering its range would receive the suggestion "there's no need to go further ahead"—a spell to drive people away.
It was responsible for making ships ignore that island before.
Alice sat silently in her seat, her eyelids slightly lowered.
Her calm expression made it seem as if she was merely stopping by for a rest, serene and unruffled.
Her silent demeanor and the eerie environment made the boy break out in a cold sweat.
For a moment, neither party spoke, and the booth slowly grew deathly quiet.
A few seconds later, the sea-green-haired boy steadied his expression and was the first to break the silence.
"Miss Alice, hello."
He rose slowly and gave a slight bow.
"I am Cedric Granville, one of the Thirteen of the Night Party, and also the Chairman of the Night Party Executive Committee."
He offered a perfectly polite smile, his purple eyes narrowing slightly.
Hearing his words, Alice lifted her gaze to look at the boy opposite her... no, the girl.
The true form of the person opposite wasn't the boy named Cedric. A ring of magical energy surrounded him.
Looking through the mana, the boy's image gradually faded, revealing a girl with silver, curly hair sitting opposite.
Transformation magecraft?
And... her body has been altered.
As her magical perception delved deeper, the sight of the girl's half-mechanized body entered Alice's view.
These traces... it seemed like the alterations were done from birth.
That heart... doesn't seem to be hers either.
After this brief inspection, Alice withdrew her gaze.
"Let's get straight to the point."
"What is this topic concerning the Divine Machine?"
Seeing Alice speak, Cedric let out a silent breath of relief.
This freshman's pervasive, probing magical energy was somewhat... frightening.
Completely unaware his true identity was already exposed, Cedric maintained his perfect smile. "To be frank, we have already created a Divine Machine."
He waved a hand, and Shin stepped forward.
Shin placed a hand over his chest and gave a slight bow.
Looking at Shin opposite her, Alice sent out a thread of magical energy.
The next moment, the internal structure of the doll appeared in her sight.
...This is just a doll, isn't it?
Although the crafting method differed from Karyuusai's, it was undoubtedly a doll.
This is what they call the perfect life?
Seems I've come here for nothing.
Seeming to notice Alice preparing to leave, Cedric across from her hurriedly added, "Of course, it's not a complete Divine Machine, but we have found the path to creating one."
"'We'?"
"Yes, we, the German Empire. If you cooperate with us, then..."
Before he could finish, Alice slowly rose to her feet.
How tedious.
Never mind this sudden proposal for cooperation, this Cedric's attitude... is far too eager.
Ignoring Cedric's attempts to stop her, Alice walked steadily towards the door.
Just as she neared the exit, a somewhat brash voice rang out.
"Allow me to take over the discussion from here."
With that, a burly, stout man entered the room.
His face was swarthy, with a beard on his chin and wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
"I am the headmaster of this academy, Edward Rutherford."
Edward offered a genial smile, like a kindly old grandpa you might see anywhere on the street.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.