A Genius Boy Who Was Exiled From His Family Home for “Not Being Able To Use Magic” Becomes a Witch’s Apprentice and Masters All Magic in the Right Way. This Is How You Use Your Magic, You Know?

Chapter 171. At Last

“From here on, this will be largely speculative.”

Johann, the Archbishop’s trump card, is his “future sight”.

As he began explaining his countermeasures, everyone present held their breath and listened intently.

“Most likely, their foresight has varying degrees of accuracy. And the factor triggering that uncertainty is… people.”

“…People?”

“Yes. Some individuals are ‘easily read’ and others who are ‘difficult to read.’ Events strongly influenced by easily read individuals tend to be more accurate. This is a pattern we discerned by comparing situations that seemed to align with their expectations versus those that didn’t.”

Though he called it speculation, his tone carried a certain confidence.

The group, accepting this with a measure of understanding, collectively arrived at the same question.

And with a look that seemed to say “so who, then?” directed at him, Hermes voiced the answer.

“And most likely… the one who is ‘most easily read’ is me.”

In some ways, it was the harshest answer.

“…What?”

Katia’s shocked voice echoed the sentiment of everyone present.

Of course, it made sense. He was undeniably a central figure here—though, ironically, Hermes’ movements gave the impression of someone farthest removed from “predictable behavior”.

Yet now, they were told all his actions had been foreseen.

Once again, it became clear just how extraordinary the Archbishop’s foresight was.

Even so, someone still ventured, albeit hesitantly, to ask the next question.

“Then… conversely, who is the person ‘most difficult to read’?”

“…The fact that this is the first thing you ask suggests you already know the answer.”

To the young woman, Hermes replied in a calm voice…

“It’s you, Lily-sama.”

“!”

“You are the most difficult to read—or rather, perhaps the only one who is ‘almost entirely unreadable’.”

He continued, explaining the reasoning behind his theory.

“There are two major situations so far where their foresight likely failed significantly.”

“…”

“The first was when they ‘let us escape at the outset’. During our initial encounter, their strongest asset, Lucius-sama, and our natural enemy, Nina-sama, were deployed, along with the Archbishop himself. It’s clear they predicted our appearance and aimed to end us immediately.”

“…But they failed.”

“Yes. And the deciding factor was the magic I used while holding them off—a spell conceived from Lily-sama’s ideas.”

“Ah…”

That so-called self-destructive magic had originated from a question Lili had posed during their journey.

Even the Archbishop had… at that moment, been visibly shocked for the only time.

And then—

“The second instance is, of course, ‘this very situation’.”

Looking around the room, Hermes declared:

“Their schemes had nearly brought us to the brink of irreparable conflict with the soldiers. It was Lily-sama’s persuasion that turned it around. For this scenario to have been within their calculations is highly improbable.”

The reason was simple—there was no advantage in steering events toward this outcome.

Listing other instances where Lili’s involvement had likely disrupted their opponent’s plans, Hermes further solidified his argument.

“In contrast, events involving only me, such as my supposedly secret spells being countered, can almost certainly be deemed ‘readable.'”

The exact factors influencing Hermes’ predictability remained speculative.

However, it seemed unlikely that this was something that could be changed through effort alone.

All this reinforced the idea that their opponent’s power was fundamentally beyond conventional comprehension.

But even so, they refused to give up on devising countermeasures.

With that resolve, Hermes straightened his posture and stated:

“Therefore… from now on, I propose centering our strategies around Lily-sama’s leadership.”

He laid out their future plans.

“!?”

“Developing the ‘strong yet accessible magic’ Lily-sama envisioned and using it to bolster our overall strength will form the crux of our strategy against the Northern Alliance. This will minimize their ability to predict our moves. Concurrently, I will step back from defending our base and focus solely on analyzing the Archbishop’s abilities. It’s better this way.”

Of course, he had no intention of remaining passive forever.

But for now, this approach was the best course of action. His expression betrayed a bitter resolve.

Understandably so—this was, in essence, his admission that his current situation was beyond his control, and he was asking others for help.

──But Hermes already knew.

He knew the strength of others. He knew the bonds they shared.

Thus, without hesitation, he spoke the words:

“…I’m sorry. Could I ask for your help?”

Their answer was already decided.

“──Of course.”

Katia answered on behalf of everyone.

After all, they had been waiting for this.

Each of them had been saved by him. Each of them had wanted to do something for him.

But he was too strong. Most things were faster and easier if he handled them alone.

Even when they tried to keep up with him, his pace and position were too far ahead. They had long struggled with this frustration.

But now, at last, he had stopped. He had abandoned his solitary path and reached out to them.

──What could be more inspiring than this?

“Leave it to us, Herm. All the effort you’ve put in so far—now it’s our turn to give it our all. Let us carry that weight.”

“That’s right, Master!”

Next, Liliana spoke up:

“I will do my part as well. If I’m the one who can do the most, then so be it!”

Sara and Albert nodded in agreement. Seeing this, Hermes allowed himself a moment of relief.

And observing from a step back, Jurgen murmured:

“…Thank goodness.”

His smile conveyed genuine joy.

“They can change—they’ll make a difference. Rose… they’ll walk the path you and I couldn’t take.”

──Watching Liliana’s faction, Knight Commander Thor regarded them solemnly, while the captain who had been at odds with them muttered.

He reflected on the same realization Thor had pointed out earlier.

“…They’re just kids.”

Wavering, making mistakes, and stumbling forward.

Even when crushed under the weight of forces beyond their control,

they struggled and fought to seize a better future.

To those who had discarded so much, the scene before them shone too brightly.

Yet even so, it brought something back to mind.

The reason they had chosen this path, despite their lack of talent in magic or strength.

──Wasn’t it to protect something like this?

“…Commander.”

“Yes. But first, you should go. That’s the proper order.”

Hearing his superior’s reply, the captain nodded, albeit reluctantly.

And so, he took a step toward them.

Before long, he stood before Liliana, the symbol of the Third Princess’s faction.

“──I… deeply apologize for my past actions.”

With an awkward bow and unpolished words, he expressed his sincerity.

Then, raising his head, he added:

“I don’t fully understand your goals… so I’ll ask just one thing.”

He voiced an earnest question, laden with both frustration and hope, testing their resolve:

“Can you… give us the strength? Enough to protect our homeland—and to get back at that Archbishop who toyed with us?”

“──Yes, without fail.”

The answer came without a shred of hesitation.

“In the name of the Third Princess, Liliana, I will create magic to transform this nation—magic to serve as the first step toward a country where everyone can have the power they need.”

Hearing her declaration, he bowed deeply—this time, from the heart.

“──In that case, we, the Harvest Knights, will henceforth follow you.”

Beside him, Knight Commander Thor offered a formal salute.

“If you uphold your promise, the others will understand… No, I’ll make them understand. This will be our way of atoning for the trouble we’ve caused you.”

His words and actions exuded unambiguous loyalty.

And at last, Hermes and his allies had gained the military strength they had so desperately needed.

After a long struggle, they all felt it—the certainty that they had finally reached the starting line to reclaim their nation.

Subsequent discussions focused on Hermes’s analysis.

Two remaining threats demanded countermeasures:

The “Divine Punishment” and the “Bloodline Magic of Mind Control.”

For one, Hermes had already identified an effective countermeasure—or rather, concluded it wasn’t as fearsome as they had thought.

And for the other, the magic that served as the source of the Archbishop’s power and confidence, Hermes revealed the final key to their victory.

“The key… is Nina-sama.”