Title: <The Logic of the Strong>

The 'Listmans' were a noble family of the Empire. Having pursued the path of magic for centuries, they had deep connections with the Mage Tower and the universities, and in recent years, had laid the foundation to be called a prestigious house.

The field of study that researched and analyzed mana to apply it to everyday life—Magitech.

The current head of the family, Valerius Listman, was a renowned magitech scholar. He was also the inventor who had brought about the innovation known as the Mana Coil.
However, that glory was built upon the blood and tears of the man who was once his master. The family's power was solidified on a foundation of betrayal, and a false claim had shaken the world.

A glory that seemed eternal, but a recent decline in performance now held him by the ankle. The Mana Coil had, with the passage of time, been relegated to a common piece of technology. Listman had failed to devise a new technology that could earn him greater profits. Countless ideas remained just that—ideas. This was true not only for Valerius but for the researchers under him as well.

In the end, Valerius had no choice but to admit it. He needed a more 'special brain.'

That was the reason he had been persistently tracking his master for years.

"To think you were in such a humble place, Master."

At last, Valerius discovered his old master's magic shop.
Lorenzo glared at Listman, breathing heavily.

"What brings a wretch like you here?"
"A wretch? Your words are far too harsh."

Valerius swept back his blond hair and smiled.

"It's simple. I've come with a business proposal, hoping that your talents haven't yet rusted."
"Hah. Having trouble with the company, are we?"
"...No."
"Of course. You were never one for perseverance. Never one for dedication. Magitech is a field of study. There are no shortcuts in scholarship. The one who wins is the one who sits the longest, the one who walks the proper path. There is no such thing as a scholar who became great just to shine at parties."

A vein throbbed on Valerius's temple.

"It seems you still don't understand. Master, you are currently a fugitive wanted by the Empire. A shameless thief who dared to steal my original theory and flee."

Lorenzo let out a hollow laugh. He was dumbfounded by his twisted student, who had come all this way just to say such things.
Valerius tore a check and threw it onto the table.

"This is my proposal."

The amount was an ambiguous twenty-three thousand dollars. Did he knock off 10% because twenty-five thousand was too much?

"I will have your crimes pardoned and pay you this amount every month. It's a salary that even skilled researchers would find hard to come by. The deadline for your answer is..."

He glanced at his wristwatch and raised an eyebrow.

"Next week, 8 PM."
"How amusing."
"And don't even think of running. My men will be watching you 24 hours a day."

Snap.
Listman snapped his fingers. In that instant, thugs swarmed the shop from inside and out.
Crash! Bang! Smash!

They swung steel pipes. They smashed the magical tools and display cases that Lorenzo had meticulously cared for. Lorenzo's face trembled violently as he watched his inventions get shattered.

CRASH! SHAAAATTER! SMASH—!
Amidst the flying shards, the old man stood alone. Before him, the student who had stolen his everything.
Now, he stared intently at the man who coveted his knowledge once more. A beast-like breath escaped through his clenched teeth.

"Why are you looking at me like that? They had to be broken for you to leave anyway. I've simply saved you the trouble."

Valerius met his gaze and smiled brightly.


"Well then, I'll be waiting for your wise answer."

Leaving the scene of utter chaos behind, Valerius departed. The thugs retreated like a receding tide.
Rustle, rustle.
Armand came up from the basement.

"S-Sir..."

The boy with the buzz cut looked at him with worried eyes.

"Go back inside."
"Ah... Yes, sir."

Lorenzo could say nothing else. This was his situation.
An old, faded, and feeble man who couldn't even put up a fight...


I returned to the knightly order. In my absence, various tasks had piled up like a mountain. However, as most of them were documents related to Active Residue, they were handled without much difficulty.

My virus displays the flow of mana visually. Thus, when analyzing Active Residue, I get a feeling of my eyes being opened. As if the flow of mana is being interpreted all on its own.

Knock, knock.
Just then, an aide knocked.

"Sir Knight. We've received a message. From Mr. Lorenzo Karionae, saying the items you ordered are ready—"
"I'll go at once."
"Yes. I'll have a vehicle prepared."

The aide left first. I changed into civilian clothes and went down; the aide was already in the driver's seat.

"We will depart now!"

The aide was passionate about everything. I guess this is what happens when you pay someone well.

[Lorenzo Karionae]

I arrived at the magic shop in Zestpol again. But the shop itself was different from my last visit. It was a complete wreck,惨담할 정도로. The glass windows were shattered here and there, and the magical tools were all destroyed.


As I stood silently before the counter, Lorenzo approached, leaning on his cane. He placed a box containing the items before me.

"These are the items you ordered last time."

Theoretical texts by famous magic scholars, specialized books on the ancient runic script, and a few other rare materials. They must have been difficult items to procure.

"Have you considered my offer?"

At my question, Lorenzo gave a bitter smile.

"You're telling me to borrow the power of one noble to strike down another, aren't you?"
"This is a world where one has no other choice."
"I don't trust nobles."
"Then will you run away like this?"

I gestured with my eyes toward Armand, who was peeking out from the basement. The boy's eyes were filled with fear.
Lorenzo glanced at Armand, then spoke to me again.

"...Please take Armand with you."
"That's meaningless. An apprentice without a master cannot grow on their own."

Lorenzo let out a deep sigh.

"However, I am currently a wanted man. It will only bring harm to Armand, and to you, Sir Knight."

Indeed, Giorgio Kiriko had ignored the court's compensation ruling and vanished. Though it would be more accurate to say he couldn't pay because he had no money.

"It's alright. A Knight of the Empire monitors all things within it. Therefore, requesting a retrial for a case that has already been judged is also within a Knight's authority."

Pull out the old case file, stamp it for retrial, and the entire investigation begins anew from scratch.
Not every knight can do this.
But for a 'Knight of Ebenholz,' reclaiming the truth is just that simple.


Despite this, Lorenzo hesitated. It seemed like a foolish hesitation.

"You are an old man who has trouble getting around. Not just your body, but your spirit as well."

I held out a piece of wallpaper and a pen to him.

"Write down the names of the people who can prove your innocence."
"...They betrayed me long ago. They are the ones who sided with Listman and framed me as a thief. There's no way they would recant their testimony now."

Lorenzo is a good person. He believes that good people must persuade others only through good methods.
I am not.

"It's alright. I have my own ways."

At that, Lorenzo seemed to understand my meaning and gave a bitter smile. He shook his head and said these words.

"My revenge will only give rise to another. I wish to end this chain of hatred now."
"Mr. Lorenzo. This is not about revenge. It is simply about setting things right."

Listman's family head had swept up all sorts of awards this year, including Entrepreneur of the Year, Inventor of the Year, and Scholar of the Year.
All of it was glory that should have belonged to Lorenzo.

"It is about taking back everything that was stolen from you."

Listman wields great influence in the magitech world.
But influence is relative. A power limited to a mere 'industry' and its wealth cannot compare to Ebenholz.

"Of course, this is not without a price. In return, Mr. Lorenzo, you must become my strength."

Lorenzo looked at me. His eyes were wavering.

"You know it as well. Goodness is nothing more than an illusion the weak create to protect themselves. The same goes for evil. But power itself has no concept of good or evil. The strong simply reign, while the weak must choose between good and evil to survive."

For the Empire to become evil is the same as it becoming weak. A strong Empire must be ambiguous in its good and evil. It is in that ambiguity that a chance to save the world is born.

"I will become stronger for the sake of the Empire. And for me, and furthermore for the Empire, we need 'Giorgio Kiriko' far more than a thief like Listman."

Lorenzo's fingertips trembled. His jaw clenched tight.
A silence stretched on as if a myriad of thoughts and emotions were crossing paths.

"...Make your decision now."

Presently, Lorenzo picked up the pen.
On the blank wallpaper, he wrote the names of the colleagues who had betrayed him.


On a blazing hot afternoon, I headed toward the Sentio Mage Tower district. It was because Ezel had summoned me. She had been contacting me urgently since the morning, insisting that it absolutely had to be today.

"Do you have any idea how hard I had to work to persuade her?"

She was dressed in a mage's characteristic robes, with dark circles under her eyes that reached her chin.

"Seeing your face, I can tell it was hard."

In any case, thanks to Ezel, a meeting with Faxi was arranged.

"...It's thesis review season, so I haven't slept for a week. This was literally the only day I had free. And yet, listen to you talk. Seriously, I want to punch you."
"That's why I booked a nice place."

One of the capital's finest restaurants, 'Melmon Arcadia.' Outside the window, the Arcadia River flowed like a painting, and inside, a gentle string quartet was playing.
A single meal for two here easily cost tens of thousands of dollars. It was nearly impossible to get a same-day reservation, but when I gave my name, it worked out. They even gave us a private room.

Knock, knock.
With a knock, a waiter opened the door to the room.

"This way."
"...Yes."

It was Faxi Argent. Unlike Ezel in her worn-out robes, she was dressed with considerable care and attention.
I rose from my seat and extended a hand.

"A pleasure to meet you. I am Faxi, 5th-rank mage."

She hesitated for a moment before taking my hand.

"A pleasure. Maximilian."

Ezel watched us exchange greetings, a satisfied smile on her face.
As soon as Faxi sat down, Ezel got straight to the point.

"The reason this meeting was arranged is, well, Max, you took on the 'Brain-Eater' case, right?"
"It's not just the Brain-Eaters. Vicious crimes using magic have been on the rise lately, and I'm feeling the limits of a knight investigating alone. I'm in desperate need of a mage's help, especially when it comes to analyzing magical clues."

Faxi smiled bitterly.

"My specialty isn't in analysis or tracking. Of course, I can offer some help, but I'm not sure if I'm the right person for the job."

Thump.
The virus surged. This woman was almost certainly an Izenheim—a Brain-Eater.
The problem was, there was no proof.

Of course, I could kill her even without proof. Abduct her, cut her throat, and it would be resolved.
However, she had Jun Kandel as her backer, she was Ezel's friend, and a 5th-rank mage of the Sentio Mage Tower.
She was not some rank-and-file soldier in a war that I could kill and crush as I pleased.

"The appetizer."

Right on cue, the appetizer soup arrived. The chef came in person and explained something, but it didn't register in my ears.

"Mm? This is delicious. There's no shrimp in it, but it tastes like shrimp."

Ezel took a bite and guessed the ingredients.

"Did they grind up top-grade crystal shrimp?"
"They did?"

I took a bite as well.

"Hm~ I think you're right. I can taste a hint of white wine too."

Faxi also took a bite. Her eyes widened.

"It's delicious. Unlike you two, I'm from a minor family in the east, so I can't express the taste very well."
"Oh, come on~ You always get first place when it comes to magic theory."
"Ah, you're first place?"

I feigned interest. Ezel nodded.

"We had a really intense magic analysis project recently? Ten mages were assigned to it, and she was the one in charge. She never once showed any irritation, even when it was frustrating..."

Ezel led the conversation. The atmosphere was amicable.
Faxi seemed genuinely human. I could suddenly understand how the Revolutionary Army and the New Cabinet had been deceived by them.
Such a human-like exterior, such human-like behavior.
But they were our enemies.
A species from another world that must be killed.

"The food is especially good today. You came at the right time, Mage Faxi, didn't you?"
"...Yes, I did."

From the appetizer to the main dish, by the time the dinner course was nearing its end, I wiped my mouth with a napkin and got to the point.

"Mage Faxi. I haven't heard your answer to my proposal yet."
"Ah... I would like to make a decision right now if possible, but any external activities require the permission of my supervising professor."
"And your supervising professor is?"
"Professor Jun Kandel."

Jun Kandel. A damn familiar name.

"Tomorrow... No, I will ask him today and get back to you right away."

Faxi held out her terminal. Ezel held back a laugh and whipped her head to the side, and I, feigning a tremor in my hand, accepted her terminal.

We exchanged numbers.

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Pub: 15 Oct 2025 20:48 UTC

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