After waiting for Sara to calm down, Ermes warmed the black tea from the canteen he carried with him using a general-purpose fire spell and offered it to her.
"Thank you… Ah, this is good."
"I'm glad to hear that. The flavor isn't quite as good as freshly brewed, but Katia says it's always nice to have a warm cup whenever you want."
At the mention of Katia's name, Sara reacted.
"Um… Ermes, you're Katia's childhood friend, aren't you…?"
"Yes, that's right."
"And then you were cast out of the Frenbreed Marquis House… and Katia took you in?"
"…Well, there were many twists and turns along the way, but ultimately, yes."
There had been roughly a five-year gap in between, but he couldn't very well talk about everything involving his master, so he kept things vague.
"I see… That's why you serve Katia, and why she trusts you so much…"
"…"
"…I envy that."
She finished her black tea, and the gaze she fixed on Ermes held a unmistakable tinge of envy.
Just as Katia was concerned for Sara, Sara too must have genuinely adored Katia. The look in her eyes made that abundantly clear.
"…Katia was incredibly kind to me at school."
Lowering her head and smiling sweetly shyly, she began to speak.
"When I first enrolled, I was quite hated by everyone around me. I was from a baron family, yet I had two Bloodline Magic affinities… The people around me couldn't accept that."
"I see."
"They spoke ill of me, hid my things. Naturally, I couldn't make a single friend, and it was agonizing… The person who reached out to me during that time was Katia."
Given her personality, she certainly wouldn't have turned a blind eye to such a scene.
Back then, Katia had a near-fatal flaw in that she couldn't use magic, but she more than compensated for it with her intellect, refinement, and her beauty as a duchess's daughter. Above all, she was the fiancée of the Second Prince, earning her a high reputation among those around her.
Furthermore, although Sara held a lower social standing, her magical talent was outstanding—meaning Katia was in the position of envying Sara for possessing something she herself lacked. It was precisely Katia who, of all people, should have been most jealous, yet she took the lead in supporting Sara, which apparently softened the hostility directed at her.
"Even so, there were still people who bullied me. But every time, Katia protected me…"
"In other words, you're saying Katia bullied you?"
"Yes… At least, I never once thought that myself. But…"
The Second Prince, Aster.
Ever since he, a fellow student, had taken a liking to Sara, things had started to go wrong somewhere.
"Katia's attitude toward me never changed. If anything, she protected me even more from the increasing cruelty. But… His Highness Aster, for some reason…"
He could imagine what happened.
Just like at that party, Aster had made a one-sided judgment, fabricated the facts, and decided that Katia had been bullying Sara.
And everyone else had gone along with it.
"It's true that Katia did point things out to me from time to time. But it was always things like 'learn to make decisions properly' or 'have more confidence'—things meant to help me fix my flaws… But His Highness…"
He had exaggerated and twisted those criticisms, turning them into ammunition to frame Katia.
Katia had firmly protested and even tried to correct that habit of Aster's, but that only backfired, and in the end… so that's what happened.
Apparently, for reasons unknown, Aster was determined to bring down Katia despite once having been smitten with her.
"…I wonder what about her he finds so unsatisfactory."
"I'm sorry… I… She did so much for me, and I respect her so deeply, yet she's being treated this terribly… and I did nothing… nothing at all…"
She began to cry once more.
"Because His Highness took a liking to me, my mother was so overjoyed… The teaching to always honor those of higher standing… His Highness too… I was too afraid to say anything, to anyone… I couldn't… I couldn't do anything!"
"…"
He felt sympathy for her.
But he couldn't console her by saying it was understandable.
Regardless of the circumstances, Sara was currently their adversary, and the fact that she had harbored suspicions without taking any concrete action was her own failing.
…No. Perhaps she was actually the normal one in this country.
Those with strong Bloodline Magic were expected to obey authority absolutely. Questioning or defying it was considered wrong.
Because that was how the country ran.
Monsters—the greatest threat in this nation. It was only logical to grant extensive authority to those who could defeat them efficiently.
When he thought about it that way, perhaps…
"Katia might be the one who's unusually noble in this country."
"Yes. But I still… respect Katia for being so straightforward, so kind, and for standing firm in her own convictions. That's why…"
"I understand. I'll pass that along."
Ermes stood up. He had gotten the answers he wanted, and Sara had calmed down. There was no point in staying any longer.
"…Oh, that's right, Sara."
"Y-yes?"
But before he left, there was one last thing. For the first time, he addressed her by her name.
"Regardless of the reasons, the fact remains that you participated in the scheme to bring down Katia. I have no intention of letting that slide."
"…Yes."
"But as thanks for sharing your story just now—and forgive my presumption—allow me to offer you one piece of advice."
"Advice…?"
Sara tilted her head, and Ermes held up his index finger.
"I think you underestimate the power of the human heart."
"The power… of the heart?"
She probably thinks I'm speaking gibberish out of nowhere, he thought with a bitter mental laugh.
He didn't normally say things like this.
How to think and how to act—that was something each person decided for themselves. Ermes would help when he could, but he always left the final decision to the person involved.
But… Sara, he believed, was doing the exact opposite. He continued.
"Based purely on my impression from what you just told me… you undervalue your own heart. You see it as something you lack. Or something trivial, something you can ignore. That you yourself don't belong to yourself—that someone like you doesn't matter either way."
"!!"
Sara's eyes widened. Her reaction told him he had hit the mark.
"B-but… I'm not like Katia! I'm not strong enough to have firm convictions, the way Katia or you surely are…"
"That's not true at all. That's exactly why I said you underestimate it."
He took a few steps toward the window and gazed out at the sights of the Royal Capital.
"The heart—it is another word for one's feelings. Everyone possesses this power, and it is stronger than anyone imagines. Human feelings nurture people, drive the world forward—
And even the magic you hold so sacred
was born
from the feelings
of human beings."
"Wha…!?"
To someone of her worldview, this must have seemed utterly unbelievable. But she could tell Ermes was speaking with absolute conviction. She didn't fully understand, but the sheer persuasiveness of his words left her unable to deny them.
"That is why it exists within you as well—not something implanted or forced upon you, but feelings that are yours alone."
"…"
"There's no harm in trying to follow them. You might be surprised at how well things turn out. And if that happens… I'm sure you'll become someone even more wonderful."
"…Ah!?"
Sara had been listening quietly, but the moment those last words reached her ears, her face turned bright red in an instant.
At the same time, he realized he had probably gone a bit too far with that last part.
"Sc-sorry. That probably sounded like I was hitting on you. I didn't mean it that way—though saying so might come across as rude."
"I-it's fine…"
"Ah, but I meant every word of it. I wouldn't have said any of this if I didn't think your heart was beautiful."
"Y-yes!"
Yeah, he thought. Any further conversation would only make things more awkward.
Besides, he had understood everything he needed from what she told him. Aster was still, as always, someone who needed to be opposed. No more hesitation.
With that settled, Ermes offered a curt bow and turned to leave.
"Ah, um!"
But a voice called out to his retreating back, and he turned around once more.
There stood Sara. Unlike before, her expression showed she had steeled her resolve.
"Hypothetically… if I were to follow my own heart…"
"Yes."
"And if what my heart wanted put me at odds with all of you… what would you do?"
"That's obvious."
He answered without a moment's hesitation.
"We'd face each other honestly and fairly, both of us riding our convictions on our magic. That's what magic is for."
He didn't wait for her reply. This time, Ermes truly departed.
"…Why does he have to be like that…"
Left behind, Sara stood there in a daze, her cheeks still faintly flushed—whether from the lingering afterglow of their conversation or some other reason entirely.