"Sir Filkorn, did you figure it out?"

  "Yes, Your Highness! I know where the problem lies—it’s that restaurant in the Upper District!"

  "Half a month ago, an old noble friend of mine came to Langard. He wanted to try the capital’s top restaurant, so as the host, I invited him to the one he mentioned."

  "However, it was his first time there, and he wasn’t familiar with the rules. He accidentally ordered an extremely expensive vintage wine. At the time, my steward didn’t have enough funds with him, so I signed the bill and told them we’d settle it another day."

  "Now that I think about it—"

  Filkorn’s face turned ashen.

  "I was set up from the start!"

  "The bill...... I see."

  Alicia’s eyes flickered with an idea.

  "Sir Filkorn, I’ll investigate this matter thoroughly as soon as possible and clear your name."

  "Thank you, Your Highness. But please don’t worry too much—the Captain is also working on a solution for me."

  "Besides, even though it’s a suspension, it’s a rare opportunity for a vacation. I can finally take my wife to our country estate and relax for a while."

  As he spoke, Filkorn looked at his wife, who smiled gently at everyone.

  "I see~," Alicia smiled. "Then Sir Filkorn, please go and relax. We’ll handle things here."

  Filkorn nodded, then added:

  "Your Highness, even though I’m temporarily leaving the knights order, there are still many who support you within it. They’ll be ready to help whenever you need them. Additionally......"

  He paused before continuing:

  "The Captain won’t interfere with your actions excessively."

  "Oh?"

  Alicia looked slightly surprised, then nodded in understanding.

  "I’ll gratefully accept this kindness......"

  The Imperial Guard Knights were the sharp blade protecting the royal family. Thus, the Captain of the Imperial Guard Knights could only stand by the Emperor’s side in terms of stance—he couldn’t align with or oppose any heir, as that would be seen by the outside world as the Emperor favoring that heir.

  So long as the Emperor remained on the throne, even if the Captain favored a particular heir, he couldn’t show it openly and must remain neutral in actions.

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  Before leaving, Filkorn turned to Hulim:

  "Lady Hulim, though it’s belated to say this—if you ever need it, the Imperial Guard Knights will always be your backing. This is also the Captain’s wish......"

  "Hmm?"

  Hulim froze for a moment, then understood.

  For the entire Imperial Guard Knights, as someone with deep ties to them, she was one of the few people they could openly support in the name of justice—even the Emperor wouldn’t object......

  After a moment’s thought, Hulim agreed.

  "In that case, thank you, Mr. Filkorn, and the Captain."

  Filkorn smiled and replied:

  "You’re most welcome~!"

  ......

  On the way back from Filkorn’s mansion,

  "Hey, Hulim, there’s something I don’t understand."

  Miko asked, looking confused.

  "That uncle was found guilty, right? Why can he move around freely instead of being arrested?"

  Hulim and Alicia exchanged glances, then both looked at Miko.

  "......"

  "W-Why are you staring at me like that?"

  Miko felt flustered under their gaze.

  "Miko......"

  Hulim reached out and gently held Miko’s head, examining it carefully. Hmm, she’d grown a bit since last year, and her fur was softer—such a nice texture~!

  "......H-Hulim?"

  "Ah, sorry......"

  Hulim let go of Miko’s head.

  "Ahem, what you’re saying applies to ordinary circumstances, Miko."

  "Mm......"

  Miko shook her slightly messy hair.

  "Ordinary circumstances?"

  "Yes. Mr. Filkorn’s case isn’t a regular crime. Its severity stems mainly from his special identity."

  "But at the same time, precisely because his identity is so special, he can’t be convicted easily—unless there’s 100% irrefutable evidence!"

  "Lastly, whether a member of the Imperial Guard Knights is convicted or not depends entirely on the Emperor’s will. I think the Emperor probably knows he’s being framed."

  "Huh? How does the Emperor know that?"

  "Because if he weren’t, Filkorn would have been arrested, not just suspended without restriction of movement!"

  "Oh, I see...... Wait, huh???!"

  A string of question marks popped up over Miko’s head. After thinking for a long time, she finally reacted.

  "That’s not right! You’re using the result to explain the cause!!!"

  ......

  ......

  Manacos Magic Academy.

  Magic Circle Studies training ground.

  The ground was covered by a glowing white magic circle. The freely flowing magic elements were gathering toward the circle from all directions.

  Once the magic circle stabilized completely,

  the concentration of magic elements inside the circle was far higher than outside, forming two distinct zones.

  After some time, the magic circle dimmed, and the gathered magic elements gradually dispersed.

  "Professor Dez, is that all?"

  Hulim called out to Professor Dez standing outside the training area.

  "......"

  At this moment, Dez stood motionless, dumbfounded.

  "......Professor Dez? Professor Dez!"

  "Ah——???"

  It wasn’t until Hulim called out several times that Dez finally snapped back to his senses.

  "Incredible...... Simply incredible!"

  Overwhelmed with excitement, he rushed toward Hulim, not caring about his dignity.

  "Student Hulim! This is amazing! That magic circle—it must be a lost ancient technique from the ancient era! Where did you learn it?!"

  Faced with the excited Dez, Hulim was caught off guard and quickly explained:

  "Well, I just happened to discover it in an ancient ruin......"

  "Really? But the writing rules you used are modern ones?"

  "Uh...... I modified it a little—just a tiny bit......"

  Hulim gestured with her fingers.

  Hmm, basically, she’d transformed a magic circle that only high-ranking fairies could activate into one that any Rank C mage could construct easily......

  "I see! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! This is the most significant achievement in a century!"

  "With this, the speed of training talents will increase drastically—not just that, people’s ways of using magic will expand, and even the power supply for magic tools will take a leap forward. The entire society will undergo a magical revolution......"

  Wait, is it really that exaggerated?

  Watching Dez ramble on excitedly, Hulim couldn’t help but think the professor was overreacting.

  Besides, she’d come for a make-up exam—if they kept talking like this, what would happen to her exam result......