Chapter Seventy-Six: The Most Meaningful Thing

That night, when Louis returned from Sakura Bell’s place, it was already midnight. As usual, in his dreams, he gave a lecture to Harold, Stuart, and the other fourteen people, then left behind a few assignments before going to sleep.

Upon waking in the morning, Louis glanced at the narration log from the night before and fell into deep thought.

“Is this what counts as a victory?”

“It must be that the storybook isn’t serious.”

[Sakura Bell/Inspector Kevin’s Recommendation Letter +1 (Pending Collection)]

[Requirement: According to the strings of fate, as long as you 'chat' with those agents in the 'fishbowl' who watch the black sorcerers feed chickens, your third recommendation letter has a high probability of appearing, following the path of destiny.]

Seeing this, Louis raised an eyebrow.

“My reading comprehension really is flawless.”

A court card was an official pass to allow him to show himself openly. Even though the Three of Hearts was a small number, many aristocratic or official heirs, when they first joined, could only get a number at best, not a court card.

Even Kevin was only a “Five of Diamonds” now—impressive, but still! With such a legitimate identity, you could walk through the front door anywhere, and once inside, people would serve you tea and water.

Instead of being so frightened they’d fall to the ground.

As if he were some sort of villain.

Thinking of this, Louis became excited and couldn’t hold back. He dressed and left his bedroom.

It was Saturday, already ten in the morning, and the two sisters had long since gone out. There were many small baskets on the table, all breakfasts brought by the Yordle people. As he ate, Louis discovered a note Helen had secretly left in one of the baskets.

[You big meanie, you delayed my sister’s plans. She was going to take you to the charity gala last night, but you didn’t come back, and now she’s mad at you. I didn’t get to go either, humph.]

[We’ve gone to listen to Headmaster Oliver’s lecture, Louis. Sis didn’t want me to tell you, surely because she’s afraid you’ll learn too—be careful, Louis. She said when school starts, she’ll settle all the big and small accounts with you, and give you a beating. (Impish face)]

“This little traitor.”

“Your sister didn’t want to take me to any gala—she just wanted me as a shield.”

“Last night, I took care of Sakura Bell, and the dance partner waiting for her and the nobleman meant for Osicris were standing at the door, staring at each other for half the night. When I came out, they were still moon-gazing. As if you two went to a gala. No one came to pick you up.”

“Ah, did I ruin their matchmaking? That’s a bit embarrassing. At twenty-three, she’s half a spinster in these times.”

After finishing breakfast, Louis summoned a flying carpet on the balcony, placed the baskets on it, and sent them back to the Magic Cat Café. Then he changed clothes and went to the base.

On the stone table, Louis spread out the magic “paper,” smiled as he looked at it for a while, and then flew into the painting inside the magician’s box.

...

The Magical Secret Realm.

Outside the circus, near the newly built cottages.

Looking at the dazed agents sitting at the entrance of the circus, the Grand Voodoo Marquis Ross sneered coldly, bent down, and picked up two eggs.

After putting the eggs away, he pulled out his gold-threaded handkerchief and elegantly wiped the chicken droppings off his dragon-hide boots.

“Stop sitting around like fools—there’s no way out of here. And don’t try Apparition, or you’ll suffer the consequences.”

Ross tossed feed to the chickens, sneering as he spoke:

“Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck—if this were the old magic secret realm, the twelve of us could still have a tussle with Harold inside. But in here, even all twelve of us plus the magician can’t get out.”

“You’re better off than we were—there’s food and drink every day, and work to do. No more dancing for now...”

At this, Ross couldn’t help but turn away and secretly wipe a tear.

Everyone had originally thought the Faceless One was one of the Ministry’s agents. So when these agents entered the hat recently, everyone was excited, figuring that after one last hand of cards, they’d get to enjoy life in the Black Prison.

But these agents weren’t under the Faceless One at all—when they first denied it, no one believed them.

But after he and Jason had bested all twelve agents, everyone was convinced.

The Faceless One’s subordinates? Bah.

Not worthy! If you can’t even beat me, how can you call yourselves his men?

From now on, I, Ross, am the gatekeeper of Hydra!

“Cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck.”

Still, life had much improved since the agents arrived—thank the heavens, Harold the lunatic had at least contributed something. His magic box was actually quite nice.

And after that, Stuart the demon began delivering food regularly, and even assigned tasks.

What did Stuart say again?

“The boss was going to keep you all here as carpenters, building his estate forever. But I convinced him of your value. So now you’re on labor reform—behave, don’t cause trouble, or if the boss learns your bounties, he’ll have your souls ripped out and tossed into the Black Prison.”

As if! Who’s the Master Alchemist? Who’s the Voodoo Marquis?

Since the day I arrived, I, Ross, have been a chicken-dung-and-compost farmer, have I?

As for magical potions—cough, I meant fruit and vegetables—there’s nothing I don’t know about growing and tending them.

This two-galleon salary is well-deserved.

Looking at the chickens nearly bigger than dogs, and the distant fields of leeks taller than a man, Ross smiled with satisfaction.

“The Blood Parrot brats’ fleet didn’t let me down. They found the leeks and delivered them to Stuart in the ship’s mirror. The boss should be happy. Maybe I’ll get a raise next month.”

“Of course, if only I could go out for air once in a while—but what we’re doing now is meaningful...”

Thinking of this, Ross glanced disdainfully at Jason, the Scarred Immortal, who was herding sheep in the distance. Sure, the sheep were huge, bigger than horses, with grand horns.

But those cattle and sheep were skin and bones, their eyes burning with soul-fire—how could they even produce dung?

How could you expect meat, milk, or fertilizer?

He knows nothing!

These people truly are fools, lazy and idle all day. They even grumbled about the two-galleon wage for a while.

They have no idea what this “employment fee” actually means.

Legally, we’re all accomplices now, one foot inside Hydra’s door.

What does our current work matter? In the future, there will be grand tasks—gathering people like us together always leads to something earth-shaking!

A sorcerer even younger and stronger than the Dark Lord!

A powerful wizard dedicated to spreading magic, not excluding lower-class sorcerers from learning!

Some say he was born of all sorcerers’ dreams... Ross believed it might be true.

Because he must have been born for this era...

This world needs to change...

As for now, it’s just a matter of lying low and preparing.

The time hasn’t come yet.

Our ranks will only grow...

So the most important thing now is to become the boss’s confidant. Whatever makes him happy is meaningful. As long as you earn his trust, what’s a little flattery or chicken-dung shoveling?

If you can’t bear to lie low, you’re not worthy of Hydra.

What we do must never be revealed...

But there are always fools who don’t see.

At this thought, Ross sneered again at Jason, the Scarred Immortal.

Really, these fools... Wait?

What is that fool doing?

That little booklet in his hands... he’s secretly studying the “homework” the boss left behind?!

Damn it! The boss did leave some magical assignments in our dreams and said he’d check on our progress in person soon.

All day they drag me into card games, but behind my back, they’re all secretly studying!

We agreed to slack off together, and now I see they’re all liars!

Still... the assignments are indeed difficult. I can see it’s a foundational thing, but almost impossible to grasp.

It must be extraordinary.

What did the boss call it?

“Elementary Symbol Reading (Elementary Field Theory)?”

A foundational academic discipline to theorize magic? Something that lets sorcerers study magic logically?

It’s so significant. It should be widely disseminated! It must be protected! The Ministry mustn’t destroy it!

The Dark Lord was right—all magical knowledge should be integrated. Ordinary sorcerers should study more magic, not just basic daily spells.

Yes... what could the great noble houses alone accomplish? Can they enslave two billion Muggles?

Magic needs reform; the wizarding circle must grow; lower-class sorcerers should learn more; we can’t let the great houses rule forever—the boss is working on this now. He’s having us compile all our magical knowledge into books.

The wizarding world needs to change! No more playing house in a tiny circle; the Ministry’s blockade should be lifted, and we should see the world...

After all, the outside world has changed beyond recognition...

Luckily, the “forbidden knowledge” from three thousand years ago didn’t spread to the Muggle world, or if Muggles could also create sorcerers, where would our dominance be?

What was that forbidden knowledge again?

It described something that let Muggles “see” magical energy, study magic, and even use it through objects!

What was it called?

“Elementary Symbol Reading? No, no, that’s what the boss is teaching us—I’m confused...”

Right, it was called Field Theory (Elementary Symbol Reading)!

I’m not sure what it’s used for, but it ought to be destroyed!

In that, at least, the Ministry did some good.

But the policy is still wrong—afraid of Muggle rise, so destroy knowledge?

Just enslave the Muggles!

The Dark Lord failed to unify the wizard and Muggle worlds, but the Faceless One will succeed!

Thinking back to the war he’d participated in as a Muggle, the two-hundred-year-old, once notorious Grand Voodoo Marquis Ross, felt a deep fear in his eyes.

“A bunch of frogs at the bottom of a well... cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck.”

...

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