Chapter 56

Hedda was the one who once again lit up at my mutter.

"What is 'Charm'?!"

Huh? You don't know about charm?

"Um, it's something like pheromones that animals and insects release to ensure the continuation of their offspring. Do you understand pheromones?"

"Sort of?"

"Ah, maybe you'll learn about it at school? For a detailed explanation, you should ask a scholar who studies biology, but to put it simply, pheromones are body odors that attract the opposite sex. Think of charm as the magical version of that. It's a kind of magic that attracts the opposite sex. Haven't you heard of it before?"

Hedda shook her head.

"No, I haven't."

"What about Nebel and Hilt?"

They both shook their heads.

"Ignatz?"

"No."

Immediate answer.

"...Silt, Lanz."

When I called, the twins, who had been hiding their presence all along, responded.

"We have not heard of it."

Seriously! Still, there's one more person I want to confirm.

"Sorry, bring Fairvalter here."

Silt bowed and left the room.

Combining Hedda's story with Duke Einhorn's story from yesterday, it seems like Princess Einhorn is definitely using charm. But from her behavior, it seems unconscious, and she doesn't seem to realize she has such an ability.

Could it be that the charm is conveniently advancing Princess Einhorn's 'serves you right' scenario?

"Brother."

When I turned to Ignatz, who had called out, he had a slight frown on his forehead.

"What's wrong?"

"Is Princess Einhorn using this charm on you, Brother?"

"…No, I don't think so."

Now that you mention it, if the charm were directed at me, I would probably feel more… affection towards Princess Einhorn.

I think she will grow up to be a beautiful woman, but that's all. I don't get the 'Wow, she's so beautiful, I'm so excited' feeling, and I don't want her to be my fiancée just because she's cute.

"Ignatz, you don't like Princess Einhorn, right? Is that still the case?"

When I asked, Ignatz nodded in agreement.

Still doesn't like her.

"Nebel? Have you met Princess Einhorn?"

"I saw her at the first tea party Ignatz attended."

Oh, right, that's true.

"What did you think of her then?"

Nebel glanced at Hilt and then mumbled.

"I'm not interested."

Ah, I see. So, you were already devoted to Hilt back then. Sorry for asking such a nosy question.

"Is there a difference in who it affects and who it doesn't?"

I don't know. As I pondered, Silt returned with Fairvalter.

"I was working, so I'm in a bit of a mess. Sorry."

It seems he was helping in the garden.

"No, it's fine. Fairvalter, you know a lot about magical beasts, right?"

"Yes, I know most of the individuals in the Forest of No Return."

"Is there a magical beast that uses charm?"

"Charm? What exactly do you mean by that?"

As expected, he doesn't know.

"For example, a magical beast that looks like a beautiful woman and makes you fall in love with it."

"Fall in love with a magical beast?"

"Imagine a magical beast that looks incredibly beautiful, and you fall in love with it. Or a magical beast so beautiful that you want to tame it rather than kill it."

"Ah, you mean a mind-control type of magical beast. Unicorns and Bicorns use mind-control abilities, but they usually cast illusions to make you see someone you care about, like a spouse, child, or lover… So, the charm you're talking about, I don't think it's the same."

"Got it. Thanks. You can go back."

After hearing everyone's reactions and Fairvalter's explanation, I was convinced.

In this world, there is no such thing as charm!

Well, I think charm is a form of mind control in a broad sense, so it's not entirely absent.

But the charm in fantasy, where a specific person becomes infatuated and neglects their previous close relationships, like a lover or fiancé, is different. Maybe I should look through old documents? And this is more in the realm of magicians.

I glanced at Hedda, who was smiling happily.

"Hedda."

"Yes?"

"Can you also introduce me to a magician who studies mental magic?"

"Sure thing!"

The Hunt-Erfolk family has produced many people with high magical power and a research-oriented mindset over generations, and most of them become magicians and join the magic tower.

Will Hedda go to the magic tower instead of the royal academy? Wherever she goes, I want her to be free to choose, but I hope she can interact with Ignatz as much as possible.

If I ask her for this, I'll owe her more, so I won't say it.

I'm unsure whether to tell Princess Einhorn about the charm.

From what I can tell, it doesn't seem to completely overwhelm rationality, but if it has the same effect as mind control and is used for a long time, I'm a bit concerned about the outcome.

I hope she doesn't become so obsessed with Princess Einhorn that she can't think of anything else.

And, can it be undone? When I made the engagement contract, I included a temple vow because breaking it comes with a penalty. Temple vows or temple contracts are essentially curses.

Is charm a form of mind control or a curse? I want to know if its effects can be eliminated.

I'll go to the library later.

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