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 192. After The Turmoil

“──I sincerely apologize.”

After that.

Following the conclusion of the battle between Hermes and Lucius, the Northern Alliance, still unable to grasp the situation, was temporarily disbanded. Once things had settled, I explained the entire sequence of events to everyone.

For the rank-and-file soldiers of the Northern Alliance, it must have been difficult to accept that the majority of their leadership had been brainwashed by the Archbishop──

However… many of the soldiers had already sensed something was off, particularly with the behavior of their commander, Lucius. As a result, there was less confusion than expected, and everyone accepted the explanation.

And now, at the Northern Alliance’s stronghold.

The soldiers of the Northern Alliance stood in formation, and at their forefront… Lucius, the Knight Commander of the Northern Alliance, knelt on one knee, bowing his head.

“I was completely fooled by the Archbishop’s schemes, plunging the entire North into chaos. In the end, I nearly laid hands on His Highness──I cannot begin to atone for this.”

Lucius’s demeanor was nothing like his usual rough self; he was every bit the knight. His actions exuded intelligence, respect… and a clear sense of submission.

“Punish me as you see fit. …However, if it is possible… I beg you to spare the rank-and-file soldiers who were not under control.”

Having just protected and convinced his subordinates, the man now prioritized their lives once more, raising his head and fixing his golden eyes with a firm resolve.

And in the direction of his gaze stood…

“…I have no intention of ‘punishing’ you.”

The Third Princess, Lilliana Joseph von Eustia.

She first made it clear that she had no intention of carrying out the ‘punishment’ Lucius spoke of──namely, execution. While such an act would not have been out of place in this kingdom until now, she declared that things would be different from here on out.

And then…

“However──I do not intend to forgive you either. We do not have the luxury for that right now.”

She firmly stated that she would not simply show mercy.

“Therefore…”

Addressing the restless soldiers, she declared.

“I command you, Lucius von Frodite, and the knights of the Northern Alliance.──Join me as my subordinates in the battles to come. …The battles to restore the throne, which my brother has unjustly usurped, to its rightful form.”

Her desire, her wish.

Though she had been swept along at first… now, with words that undoubtedly came from Lilliana’s own heart, she spoke.

“The battles will be harsh. They will be brutal. In this kingdom, where everything could be solved by leaving it to the bloodline magicians, we will face a level of fierce combat unlike anything seen before.”

In a way, it might not be any different from executing them. It would be the height of fantasy to think that everyone here could emerge unscathed… or even alive, by the end of her ‘battles.’ So, in essence, she might as well be telling them to die for her sake.

…But.

“──However, when that day comes…”

Understanding all these contradictions, Lilliana declared the decisive difference she believed in. The reward she would give, worthy of their loyalty.

“Lucius, who was kept away from the royal capital due to his heretical talents. And… all of you in the North, who were kept in places unbefitting your abilities simply because you lacked magic, and who were unfairly dismissed despite demonstrating your strength.”

“!”

She had learned the truth of the North. After delving into the reasons behind their obsession with meritocracy…

“──I will evaluate all of you fairly. Not just me. The entire kingdom, from now on, will shine a proper light on all of you… no, I will ensure it does. I will change this kingdom into one that does so.”

After declaring the path she would walk as the rightful ruler, her unwavering resolve──she extended her hand.

“…To restore the throne to its rightful state. To shape this kingdom into the form I desire. And… to reclaim your honor. For all of this… will you lend me your strength…?”

And so, in the end, she made her request in a pleading tone. With a voice both delicate and dignified, she asked.

“──”

In that moment, the knights of the Northern Alliance must have seen it.

Within this young princess… and nurtured through this Northern rebellion, was the unmistakable bearing of a true monarch.

“──Hah!”

Representing them all, Lucius bowed his head deeply once more. In response, the knights behind him all pledged their loyalty.

And so, she… the Third Princess faction, obtained the two things they had long desired.

Military strength, and a solid stronghold. Through the Northern rebellion, they had gained what they had wished for… in a form that exceeded their expectations.

After Lilliana left, the following conversation took place among the remaining knights of the Northern Alliance.

“…She’s an incredible princess.”

“Yeah.”

On their faces was… unmistakable reverence, born from the events that had unfolded.

“She’s only eleven, right? And yet, she carries herself with such dignity and truly understands us.”

“It’s not just her demeanor. Her magic is incredible too.”

“Yeah, I heard rumors… that she can make all her allies use Bloodline Magic or something.”

“Apparently so. And not just that… she herself said it wasn’t Bloodline Magic. I don’t get it, but I’ve certainly never heard of such a thing.”

“Her subordinate magicians are all powerful too. The one who defeated Commander Lucius, and that dual-affinity user from the Trakia family.”

“We might have sworn allegiance to someone truly extraordinary…”

In addition to addressing their grievances, her terrifying domain magic, which had silenced even the staunch meritocrats on the battlefield, had further solidified their loyalty.

And there was one more factor that drew their allegiance.

“And… she’s beautiful.”

Yes, as shallow as it might sound, Lilliana’s appearance.

Her vibrant, fiery red hair, and deep blue eyes that radiated wisdom. A delicate, angelic beauty befitting a young girl, combined with the dignified and noble beauty of a ruler. A miraculous beauty that blended both.

Along with her stunning looks, her rational and flawless demeanor.

Beautiful things boost morale. Combined with everything else, the image she had shown in that short time had rapidly gathered the soldiers’ loyalty, bordering on reverence.

And so, the voices of the knights, now fired up, echoed.

“Honestly, I used to hate the royal family… but I’d fight anywhere for her.”

“Same here! I’ve never seen such an amazing princess!”

“Yeah, that composure at her age. I bet her private life is just as perfect.”

“No doubt! I’m sure she’s just as stunning in every aspect──!”

Meanwhile, while the knights were busy idolizing the ‘perfect and wonderful princess’, Lilliana herself was currently in the infirmary.

“Master! Say ‘ahh’!”

──With her adorable appearance and a beaming smile.

Her earlier dignity was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a relaxed… yet still charmingly age-appropriate expression as she held out a fork to the boy sitting on the bed, Hermes.

…Hermes, who had been watching Lilliana’s earlier display from the shadows, was as usual bewildered by the stark contrast and spoke up.

“Uh, Lilliana-sama. I can use my hands, you know.”

“Please don’t hold back! Master is injured, and more importantly, I want to do this! Come on, say ‘ahh’!”

With an expression of complete trust and no reservations, Lilliana pressed on. Knowing that if he refused too much, she would make a face like a sad, abandoned puppy, Hermes obediently ate the fruit she offered.

As Lilliana’s face lit up with joy, Hermes couldn’t help but smile… though he was still worried and spoke up.

“Uh, Lilliana-sama… You’re now a princess who commands the attention of many. It might be best not to show this side of yourself too often.”

“It’s fine, I only show it to you, Master! Besides…”

“Besides?” Hermes tilted his head, and Lilliana confidently declared.

“I understand it’s necessary, but… honestly, all that formal stuff is really exhausting!”

“…”

“To be blunt, it’s a hassle! I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a major source of stress for me…!”

…Well, what can I say?

Her way of speaking, her dislike for formal settings… it all felt somewhat…

(…Lately, she’s been reminding me more and more of Master Rose.)

With her appearance adding to the effect, Hermes couldn’t help but think of Rose. Meanwhile, Lilliana gave him a slightly apologetic look.

“So… just while I’m here. I want to indulge and be pampered to my heart’s content. …Is that okay?”

In a voice full of sweetness, she made her request.

And of course… Hermes didn’t mind Lilliana’s change. She was, after all, his adorable disciple.

“…No, not at all. Please, feel free.”

Patting her head, he replied. He too had plenty of things he wanted to praise her for, starting with her magic.

With that, Lilliana’s face brightened even more, and the two engaged in a master-disciple conversation for a while…

Until a small creak sounded, and the door opened. The person who appeared was somewhat unexpected.

“…Sara-sama?”

“Uh… am I interrupting…?”

The golden-haired, blue-eyed girl, who had opened the door in her usual manner, prompted Hermes to speak up. Lilliana, noticing her, turned as well… and then.

“Ah… Sara.”

“?”

For some reason… Lilliana showed a slightly awkward expression before…

“N-no, it’s fine. …Well, I should go discuss future plans with Jurgen now! I’ll be back later, Master!”

Quickly stepping away from Hermes, she spoke in a slightly hurried tone. Then, passing by Sara, she left the infirmary.

“…………”

…It was quite an unexpected turn of events.

Admittedly, Hermes didn’t fully understand the relationship between Lilliana and Sara. Based on the fragmented stories he’d heard, he assumed they were on good terms, and from what he’d seen in the royal capital, that seemed to be the case…

With that question lingering, Hermes asked Sara, who was standing still.

“Uh… Sara-sama. This might be an impertinent question, but… is Lilliana-sama avoiding you?”

“…That… y-yes. I think so…”

And with Sara’s confirmation, Hermes’s surprise only deepened.

Seeing his expression, Sara hurriedly waved her hands in front of her chest.

“Ah, um, but! It’s not that she dislikes me… I think.”

“Huh?”

“It might be presumptuous of me, but I can sort of tell that Lilliana-sama does like me. But…”

With a somewhat somber… or rather, deeply puzzled expression, she continued.

“…It’s like, in a different way.──It feels like she doesn’t want to get too close, or can’t… something like that.”

“…I see.”

If Sara, with her keen insight, said so, then it was likely true… but that only deepened the mystery. Then…

“──But…”

In a slightly firmer tone than usual, Sara spoke up, and Hermes listened.

“If that’s the case, then I want to hear the reason. And based on that, I’ll think about how we can interact… and if possible, I’d like to help resolve whatever is troubling her. I like Lilliana-sama too.”

“──”

“So, um… Hermes-kun, please don’t worry too much about it…”

“…Yes, you’re right.”

Though surprised by her unusually strong words, which were quite different from her demeanor back at the academy, Hermes nodded sincerely, as it was undoubtedly a good thing.

From there, the two exchanged some information. Specifically, about the aftermath of the Northern rebellion, the handling of Archbishop Johann, and the rapid expansion of the Third Princess faction.

Initially, Hermes had intended to participate in these matters as well, but…

“You idiot. Herm, have you forgotten that you were impaled by a sword? The world calls that a serious injury, so just rest quietly.”

As a result of being forcefully confined to bed by Katia and the rest of the Third Princess faction, Hermes obediently followed their orders.

Fortunately, it seemed that various processes and procedures were progressing smoothly. Feeling relieved that no major issues had arisen, Hermes listened to Sara’s story… until.

“…Hermes-kun.”

“Yes?”

“Um… I’m sorry.”

Genuinely apologetic, Sara bowed her head.

Puzzled, Hermes tilted his head… as Sara reached out to his chest.

“…Because of me, through Nina… you ended up getting seriously injured…”

“…Ah.”

So that’s what it was, Hermes realized.

But her apology was misplaced. Nina breaking through Sara had been within his expectations, and if anything, he should be the one apologizing for putting her in a battlefield she wasn’t suited for and using her as a decoy… Hermes began to explain this to Sara, but…

“No… I don’t have any complaints about the placement itself, but… it’s because of me…”

That wasn’t it, apparently. Sara hesitated, searching for words, before finally saying.

“I… right now, am the least helpful to you.”

That’s what she said.

“…I don’t think so, and the one you should be helping is Lilliana-sama.”

“Yes, that’s true, but… no.”

Cutting off Hermes’s response, Sara paused.

Then, with a different expression than before──not just downcast, but filled with resolve──she smiled softly.

“Anything more than this… I shouldn’t say right now. For now, this is all I can do.”

With that, she gently took Hermes’s hand. As she transmitted her warmth, she used [Ars Paulina] to heal his wounds once more.

“So, um… I’ll do my best. Please… watch over me.”

With words that were somewhat hard to grasp, she smiled again, then turned and left the infirmary.

“…”

Left alone, Hermes pondered.

…Of course, they were still in the middle of their journey.

They had overcome a major hurdle, but the destination was still far away. And──though they hadn’t had the luxury to think about it before, now that many people had gathered around them, various circumstances and relationships had emerged.

The relationship between Sara and Lilliana, Sara’s words just now… Hermes guessed that these were all part of that.

And… facing them no longer felt burdensome.

With that thought, Hermes finally had a moment to himself to think.

…Well, truly, it was ‘finally.’

Despite being told to rest and being confined to the infirmary, he hadn’t had a moment’s peace until now. The reason was the constant stream of visitors.

Before Lilliana, Lucius had come by, saying, “I owe you an apology! How long until you recover? Once you’re better, let’s spar again!” While Hermes welcomed the challenge, he was a bit taken aback that it was the first thing out of Lucius’s mouth.

Before that, it was the knights of the Northern Alliance and soldiers from the Harvest territory. They were impressed, moved, or puzzled by Hermes’s magical abilities, and while he appreciated it, it was also somewhat exhausting. He was genuinely grateful to Jurgen for stopping the flood and to Albert for silently leaving some fruit.

Well, all in all, it was a positive experience since almost no one harbored ill will toward him.

…And yet.

There were still two people among his close acquaintances whom he hadn’t seen yet… Just as Hermes was idly thinking that, the door opened.

“…Hey.”

One of those two. A beautiful silver-haired girl raised her hand in a casual manner.

Nina von Frodite.

In a way, the person he was most nervous to meet right now… and at this moment of respite, Hermes found himself face to face with her.