The man furrowed his brow, his expression laced with confusion.
I put on a smile and said something I didn't mean in the slightest.
"Apologies. I came here to help you, Mr. Beck, but I guess old habits die hard."
"...Habits?"
"Yes, from interrogating Pleroma operatives."
The lie was necessary to establish a sense of camaraderie.
Now, let me add my own thoughts to the situation.
It's unlikely my brother explicitly ordered, "Verify if he can use magic."
That perfectionist wouldn't leave such a clear trail.
Instead, he probably sent a carefully worded letter, something along the lines of:
"I'm concerned about my brother losing control and exposing his condition." "I worry his constitution might cause a magical outburst."
Whoever received that letter likely interpreted it through the lens of their own sense of justice.
'Whoever took my brother's veiled suggestion must be someone who loathes Pleroma.'
This person must have given orders to Jürgen Beck to confirm my magic.
Looking at Beck's sharp attire, it's hard to imagine he got involved in this out of financial desperation.
Most likely, he's either aligned with the person who gave the orders or acting under duress.
"Shall we begin?" I asked.
"..."
"Imprisoning a student is a crime, Mr. Beck. Regardless of your intentions, you can't escape that. However..."
I clasped my hands and leaned in slightly.
"I'd like to hear your reasons. Why did you do it? I've heard quite a few rumors about that student, after all."
"What does Lord Nicolaus think of those rumors?"
"Hard to say. I've never met him, so I can't jump to conclusions."
"If that student really is Pleroma, what would you do?"
I met his gaze directly.
The "student" in question, Lucas, was sitting right in front of him as Nicolaus. What would I do?
"If it were true, I'd consider the potential damage and root it out early. But without definitive proof, isn't that why nothing's been done for over a decade?"
He stared at me for a moment, then glanced around cautiously before speaking.
"The rumors are true."
"..."
"The Askanian family knows it, too. They all say the same thing. The moment that student uses magic, Askanian is finished."
"I see. So you wanted to confirm whether he could use magic or not?"
"..."
As soon as the conversation returned to the incident, he clammed up.
I chuckled lightly.
"Well, if you're unwilling to share, that's fine. Judging from what you just said, your intent was clearly to verify if he could use magic. Did you achieve anything?"
"..."
"You didn't, did you? From what I heard, the student couldn't use magic and instead triggered a fire alarm to reveal their location."
"That was fake."
"Was it?"
I barely suppressed a laugh. Talking about this while the person in question sat right here—it was almost too much.
Of course, it was fake.
I had deliberately chosen a method that someone unable to use magic might employ.
"Mr. Beck, your claims need evidence. If you want to accuse Lucas Askanian of being Pleroma, you'll need solid proof."
"...Evidence? Don't tell me you think that too, Lord Nicolaus?"
"This isn't about what I think. Investigations must follow protocol."
"The locked door wasn't a threat to the student, was it? Especially since he had a way out without using magic...."
Beck trailed off, uncertain.
"Is that so? If he could use magic, wouldn't he have just warped out? Setting off the fire alarm seems like a strange choice, especially for someone supposedly so bold. Wouldn't he have used magic if that was an option?"
"..."
"Mr. Beck, this isn't how you gather evidence."
I leaned closer, letting a hint of pity slip into my voice.
His eyes quivered subtly.
"W-What are you saying...?"
"What was the result of your method? Did it yield any clues, or will you simply wait for the next opportunity?"
I tapped his hand lightly.
"The moment Divine Power is used, your arteries will rupture. Is this really worth the risk?"
"Of course it's worth it! Do you not recall the power he displayed as a child? If he really is Pleroma—!"
"Then wouldn't it have been better to come up with a more effective method? Instead, you put your life on the line for this...and accomplished nothing."
"..."
His composure began to crumble.
Someone who took on this task for the greater good wouldn't react well to being told their life wasn't valuable.
But it was true—he had achieved nothing.
With his resolve shaken, it was time to drive the point home.
"From what I can see, this didn't go as planned. Your intentions may have been noble, but the result? A failure."
"..."
"Who cast that spell on you? It's quite sophisticated. If it's someone I know, perhaps I could offer some help...."
He gave me a wary look.
"If you leave this room without a solution, you'll die. They can't afford for you to talk."
"They wouldn't do that."
"Many say that, but gambling with your life is unwise."
"..."
I exhaled and leaned back in my chair.
"I'll personally prove whether Lucas Askanian is Pleroma or not. Give me a year."
"...A year?!"
"Too long? Still better than losing your life over this."
He glared at me, then muttered reluctantly, "Six months."
"Fine. That should suffice. Seems like you were under strict orders to act quickly. Your superior must be quite impatient."
"...!"
His eyes widened, and his fists clenched as he stared directly at me.
I let out a dry chuckle.
'As I thought....'
He doesn't disappoint.
Even after making a mistake, failing to realize it means he can only repeat the same behavior.
'Always so overzealous.'
He likely believes that replacing the informant with Narce was his decision, convinced I wouldn't notice his bold moves.
This time, however, blocking someone's speech with Divine Power suggests he's learned a little.
"Professor Stefan Traut is said to be quite the worrier. Seems the rumors are true."
"H-How did you…?"
Beck blinked rapidly, clearly thrown off balance.
Whether it was a lack of adaptability or simply panic taking over, his reaction was revealing.
Again, he practically confirmed my words.
But there's a slight problem here.
***
Ding! 〈 Chapter 5. Good Things Take Time (1) 〉
Proposal 2: Make the optimal choice. (0/1) (0 hours, 9 minutes, 59 seconds)
Route 1 — 〈 Proposal 3 〉Route 2 — 〈 Chapter 6. Not All That Glitters Is Gold 〉
'...This is nostalgic.'
It had been a while since the system presented an "optimal choice." And the obnoxiously titled Route 2 was as grating as I remembered.
From experience, I knew the "optimal choice" only appeared when the matter had significant long-term consequences. Clearly, this situation qualified.
'That tracks. If my brother realizes his current play is a dead-end, he'll inevitably try another move.'
The spy must remain within my grasp.
Both my brother and Traut need to believe they're in control. That way, I don't end up doing double the work.
'Time to guide things in the right direction.'
I needed to lead him toward the outcome I desired, one that conveniently aligned with his own interests.
"I hear many things from my position," I said smoothly. "I'm aware of how much effort Professor Traut puts into his work. But…"
Beck watched me warily, still unable to relax.
"It's surprising. Did he really order something like this?"
"..."
"Given your understanding of Askanian's inner workings... wasn't that professor once supported by Askanian? This is starting to make sense now."
"That's... not... Are we really going this far over something like this?"
His earlier fear of punishment had already shaken him enough to reveal his name—albeit a fake one.
Still, his visibly altered demeanor confirmed that the threat of punishment was the perfect pressure point.
"Absolutely. While your intentions may be understandable, your actions constitute a crime. Especially since we need to identify the person behind this plan."
I tapped the desk lightly as if in thought. Beck bit his lip nervously, unable to hide his unease.
He should be unsettled.
To agree to be used as a pawn by Traut requires an uncommon level of loyalty.
"Hard to believe, isn't it? Do you think Askanian is aware of Professor Traut's independent actions? If this escalates, even Askanian might consider disciplinary measures…."
"It was me."
"..."
When I stared at him, he quickly averted his gaze.
"I never said the professor ordered me. I acted based on what I'd heard and planned this myself."
"Can you say that with certainty?" I pressed, my tone serious.
"The magic on the lab's back door was removed by the maintenance team, but the spell on the front door remains intact since the incident was reported. It's only a matter of time before we trace the magical signature."
"I understand. It's not a lie. The professor has been a great help to me in the past. But if he were suddenly accused, he'd be blindsided. I'd prefer to avoid naming him as a suspect…."
I knew Traut wasn't the type to simply give vague instructions and act cautiously.
For someone as methodical as him, assigning his student to monitor me seemed sloppy. If it were me, I'd take the time to oversee it directly.
I nodded and slid a blank sheet of paper across the table.
"In that case, list anyone else who may have provided information or assistance. This investigation will cover everyone, so don't leave out any names."
"Ah…"
Beck's expression darkened.
Despite his reluctance, I knew he'd gladly fill the page.
'This lets him divert attention from Traut.'
As expected, Beck stared at the paper for a moment, then looked back at me, a faint glint of triumph in his eyes.
I gestured toward the pen, smiling.
Soon enough, Beck began writing names without hesitation.
'He must think I'm off-track.'
Let him think that.
My goal was to uncover everyone involved in my brother's schemes.
His exaggerated reaction to the mention of "professor" had already given me enough to work with.
Now, I had a list of like-minded individuals aligned with Traut's ideology.
'They're likely under my brother's influence as well.'
These names could prove useful in the future.
After pushing the list toward me, Beck asked with a resolute expression, "You'll really look into this within six months?"
The mistake people like him make is assuming their sense of justice is absolute, never doubting it.
Right now, he's throwing everything away in pursuit of one question: "Is Lucas Askanian Pleroma or not?"
Ironically, leaving Lucas alone would do far more to suppress Pleroma than their futile attempts to confirm it.
But I wasn't about to lie.
I gave him a polite, measured smile and replied, "Of course. I give you my word."
Ding! Congratulations!
'Proposal 2: Make the optimal choice.' Completed!
'Route 1 — 〈 Proposal 3 〉' has been locked in.