Chapter 75

75

"Don't you believe it?"

I pointed to the books on the decorative bookshelf around me.

They definitely weren't there for me to read; they were clearly just there to fill the space.

"History of the Empire!"

I pointed at a random book at eye level with my finger.

At the sound of my voice, Priscilla lifted her head.

"Words of the unseen sage!"

And the one next to it...

"Discourse on the interests of the individual and the group."

This one was a bit more difficult.

What kind of book is "Discourse on the interests of the individual and the group"?

What kind of discourse is this?

Whoever put these books here has some unique tastes. I really don't want to read any of these titles.

I turned my head to look at Priscilla again.

Priscilla no longer tried to hide her shocked expression.

I smiled broadly and pulled out a history book.

"I'm going to learn this!"

Every time I sat at the negotiation table with the Clown family, there were always so many things I couldn't answer.

I was far too inadequate to lead a country. So this time, I wanted to learn something.

Why did I have to follow the Senate's words without question? Why did I never doubt their bizarre form? Why did the Clown family always give time and step back in negotiations that could have been concluded in one go?

Rolling around and struggling, I gained power. I became the most hideous beast in human form.

Covered in filth, bearing a bad name, and with blood on my hands, I trampled over corpses to become an existence that no one dared to challenge.

I became the center of Silophia, their king-like figure.

Silophia has no class system.

Wizards were treated as witches.

The first person to possess such strange power was a commoner's daughter.

The temple and the royal family condemned her, and the word "witch" was born for the first time.

From there, it has been passed down to the present day. Anyone with strange powers, whether a child, an elder, a man, or a woman, became a witch.

People turned "witch" into a class.

A lower life form than commoners or slaves, a monster that deserved to die, a blemish that could not be part of human society.

In a world where war continued, witches were beings that could be killed without reason.

That's why I wanted to create an equal society, a world without discrimination.

That was all I wished for.

Creating Silophia was certainly with that intention in mind. So I wanted to know more.

Why we were treated that way, how the ruins came to be, why wizards were created, and about those ancient records.

To do that, I needed to know more.

It was fine if I couldn't learn and had to look through books on my own.

I'm still young, so it's okay to ask without worrying about others' opinions.

I didn't need to suffer alone, buried in a study, groaning and struggling.

"Here too!"

I pointed to an economics book.

Priscilla stared at me for a while before starting to write something on a piece of paper.

"Can I ask a few questions?"

"Sure."

"Miss Sheryl, Miss Sheryl had two apples. If her friend gives her five more, how many will she have?"

I scrunched up my face.

Is this what they call a question?

I don't know how much learning ability a three-year-old has, but surely they can solve this, right?

"Seven."

I held up seven fingers.

"Then two friends come, one eats one apple, and the other eats two. Then another friend brings ten apples as a gift but takes three back."

This was a bit more complicated than just adding and subtracting numbers.

It definitely seemed too difficult for a child of this age. But I'm not three.

"Fourteen!"

"…Correct."

She stared at me for a while before slowly standing up.

One of the blocks from the bag she brought rolled and fell. I could see a puzzle as well.

'She was going to do a puzzle with me.'

Of course, doing a puzzle would be fun too.

But that's not what I'm in a hurry for. A sigh of frustration escaped me.

What I needed to learn was urgent.

Etiquette, grace, a tone that isn't light, knowledge, common sense—these were what I needed.

The power I once had is now a second issue.

I know how to gain power. I was half confident that I could return to the same level as before, like in Hella.

But if I only gain power here, I'll just repeat the same time.

"Shall we stop here for today, Miss Sheryl?"

"Huh?"

The study? You're not going to teach me? I widened my eyes and tilted my head.

Seeing my expression, she awkwardly smiled and knelt back down.

"There's something I need to discuss urgently with the young duke. I'll visit again soon to set a time."

"…"

"I'm very pleased to meet Miss Sheryl. I look forward to your growth. I'm even worried if I'm not enough for you."

I stared at her kindly smiling face and slightly turned my head.

Her kind words made me a bit uneasy. Maybe because I've never received such praise, my body kept trembling.

I slowly nodded.

"Okay."

"Then I'll take my leave for today."

"Sure. See you."

She smiled at my greeting.

Seeing her kind expression, I found myself smiling back.

'Was I too talented?'

If I was too talented, that could be it.

She said she would come again, so she will, right? Otherwise, I'd have to study on my own again.

But I have Sharent Clown to ask, so there's no need to be disappointed. I shook my head, trying not to feel disappointed.

She bowed to me again and moved away, putting the book she was holding back on the shelf.

'Bored.'

Being locked in the mansion all the time, I don't even know what I'm doing.

I never thought about it when I was always buried in the magic tower alone, but being forcibly locked up is suffocating.

'Humans are fickle, they say.'

Varedo didn't seem to be coming, and the door was closed.

I used magic to turn the doorknob and open it.

I put the pacifier I always carried around my neck in my mouth and headed to Sharent Clown's garden.

'Bummed out.'

I can't even gather dark magic properly.

The power of magic using a magic stone is too low. Even if I could, there's no one to kill right now.

If I were to kill someone, Sharent Clown would sigh again.

It would be nice if there were a bandit camp or a small conflict. The garden was empty.

I extended my hand and gathered magic above it.

A black ball of magic swirled and formed.

The black magic was small enough to fit in a three-year-old's palm.

'Not enough.'

This wouldn't be enough to kill Melaine.

'What was that kid?'

The emotionless boy wearing the Silophia experiment bracelet. The child who called himself a monster.

"Dantalian…"

That was it, his name was probably that.

"Yes, Sheryl. Why did you call me?"

"Huh? Just, thinking… Ahh!"

I screamed, and a small hand covered my mouth.

A magic circle, as if carved with a knife, was drawn on the white back of his hand.

My eyes widened.

The purple eyes that came close to my face twisted emotionlessly.

The way his eyes curved looked more eerie and creepy than affectionate.

It was as if an innocent child had only learned how to force a smile.

"…What, what?"

"I came because I missed Sheryl, and you happened to call me."

His emotionless voice explained the situation without any inflection.

Can you not say it like you're just taking a walk in the neighborhood? You're breaking into someone's mansion.

Moreover, the way this guy uses formal speech makes it feel like he's being disrespectful even though he's using formal language.

Dantalian, with his expressionless face, carefully observed me.

"How did you get in here!"

When I shouted, Dantalian remained silent.

There's no way the duke's mansion wouldn't have blocked any intrusion magic. Yet, he came in using magic without any problem.

'Something's up.'

There must be something.

And that 'something' is likely related to the magic circle carved on the back of his hand.

I slowly extended my hand.

"…This."

I grabbed the wrist of the hand that was holding my shoulder.

He didn't react, probably judging that I wasn't a threat. He just observed me silently.

"Who did this?"

A magic circle permanently carved into the body.

This is inhumane.

Carving a magic circle is a horrifically painful process, and once carved, it's not easily removed, so it's not something usually done.

"…What is this?"

I pointed to the 'experiment subject' mark hanging from his wrist.

Dantalian, whose hand I held, didn't speak, just observing me with a curious look.

"Dantalian!"

"Yes, Sheryl."

"What is this!"

I didn't give up and asked again.

Experiment subject, and a magic circle carved into the body.

Several hypotheses I didn't want to think about unfolded in my mind.

My throat tightened.

I met Dantalian's purple eyes and opened my mouth again.

"Answer, answer."

I forced my tongue, which was about to get tangled, to speak.