Chapter 788: Waver's Questioning (Part 2) (Patreon)

Carina is just an ordinary girl who can’t use magecraft—how could she stand a chance against Maio? When it seemed like she was about to meet the same fate as Siegfried, fortunately, Shinji and Katou arrived in time to subdue Maio and save Carina. They quickly summoned Lord Valualeta and Waver, and the coincidentally arriving Silver Princess and Regina.

After Waver surveyed the surroundings, checked the luggage hidden in the forest, and finally examined Carina's ears, the truth became clear. With that, there was no need to allow Atrum to continue causing trouble. Because Touko had gone a bit too far with her little game, Shinji and Katou had to rush ahead to stop her.

No one questioned how they were able to time their rescues so precisely—this is a world of mystery, where monitoring techniques abound. Before Reines went to find the Golden Princess, Shinji had already set up detection spells at suspicious locations and around relevant individuals.

Since they intended for the Silver Princess and the two maids to follow Waver, they naturally had to ensure their safety.

In the original timeline, poor Carina had already been killed once by Maio for the same reason, and Shinji didn’t want her to die again—seeing how she adeptly disguised herself as the Golden Princess and negotiated with Waver, it was clear she was quite talented.

Of course, not all of this could be shared with Waver; only part of it could be revealed, focusing on foresight and the benefits of recruiting talent to the El-Melloi classroom after learning the truth.

Since Shinji was genuinely considering these things, Waver didn’t see any problem, but he still felt—

"I appreciate your concern, but I find it hard to accept what you’ve done. Maio wanting to kill is certainly a crime, but it wasn’t your place to judge him. And do you think Carina will be grateful to you for this? Have you forgotten what happened afterward? What do you think Carina will feel when she finds out?"

◇◇◇

Afterward, more precisely after Waver finished showing off his reasoning and resolved the Golden Princess’s death, everyone’s attention turned to Maio’s attempted murder.

Maio’s reason for killing was simple, even purer than Byron’s forgery of the Golden Princess.

"Even if Diadra is dead, the Golden Princess isn’t! That beauty remains untouched! But she said she wanted to escape. She wanted to flee from Lord Byron and take the Silver Princess and Regina away from the Twin Towers. How could I allow such a thing to happen? Even if it means her death, I must reclaim that beauty! Even if I have to kill her, I must keep her! The Silver Princess’s research must continue! Because we’ve already seen the end. Since we’ve reaped the fruit, we must keep moving forward! As a magus, there’s no other choice!"

He wasn’t wrong—not a single word.

A person’s life and freedom are insignificant compared to the root. If it can be realized, even if dozens or hundreds must be sacrificed, it must be done willingly. Sacrificing a childhood friend to achieve a goal is only natural for a magus. Just as Gray’s parents and kin did to her to recreate the legend of King Arthur, this obsession is the foundation of magecraft’s persistence.

But—

"In that case, why didn’t you ask her to die for you?"

As everyone was stunned by Maio’s righteous declaration, a long-haired man in a suit stepped forward.

"Before you were willing to kill your childhood friend to keep her, why didn’t you ask if she would die for you? For the whim of seeing ultimate beauty once more, why didn’t you beg her to be dissected for you? And if that didn’t fulfill your dream, why didn’t you straightforwardly and proudly ask the Silver Princess and Regina to become sacrifices too?"

This man, now a legend in the Clock Tower, sharply questioned, ignoring the incredulous, even irrational, looks from others.

"Are you trying to say such a reckless request is impossible? Then you are just that—limited."

He scolded him harshly, without mercy. His suit was like armor, the cigarette in his hand like a blade, striking at the heart, shattering not only Maio’s obsession but also the very foundation of others’ lives.

"It’s not as if you can trample over nations in the absence of divine will or righteousness merely by personal desire. Nor can you take away the honor and glory of countless war gods and princes just to fulfill a delusional wish to see an endless sea, let alone have them stand by your side. If you can’t even believe in such a delusion, how could you achieve your dream?"

Everyone was shaken, except for Waver, who remained unwavering. His voice held a terrifying determination, as if it came from the end of the world, from that hot sandy land that existed only in dreams, from the landscape deeply engraved in his heart. No one could defile that landscape; no one could mock that dream.

This man had come this far, driven by his dreams and beliefs.

"Whether you are a magus or not, the self is absolute for everyone. No matter what good or evil deeds you do, you might not truly save or harm others. But whether it’s a misunderstanding or a mistake, if it’s a way of life you’ve struggled to find, then stand tall. If you’re going to fight for yourself, at least inspire others by being true to yourself."

"So, so what? Wh-wh-what if I asked? Would C-C-Carina agree?"

Maio was naturally a stutterer, and in his agitation, his speech became even more broken, making it hard to understand.

But Carina understood. After being rescued, the silent girl bravely stepped forward, stood tall, and walked up to Maio.

"I would agree."

Her voice was firm, her attitude sincere, delivering a different kind of shock.

"Wh-why?"

"Because I like you, I’ve always liked you. Even if your eyes were only on Diadra, even if you never saw me, I still like you. As long as it’s what you want, I’m willing to do anything."

An unexpected reason, yet a logical answer. Magus are blind in their pursuit of wishes, just as a girl in love is blind in her affections.

Hearing Carina’s words, Maio, who had been angry and agitated like a fighter, suddenly lost all strength and collapsed to his knees in despair.

Waver looked down at him and gave his final judgment.

He said—

"Because you didn’t do that, you lost."

"Because you didn’t do that, you’re kneeling here."

Ordinary people have their values, and magus has the values of magus, both existing in his heart and supporting him as he moves forward.

"—You’re just greedy."

His words fell like the blade of a guillotine.

Judgment.