Interlude 08 - The Clock of the Minister of Magic's Household Begins to Turn (1)
"None of those who were present that day will ever forget the Lady's final words."
"Indeed. However, the Lady did not return in 'that manner' after all, did she...?"
"I understand that believing 'that was what happened' goes against the Lady's wishes. And yet, the resemblance was so striking that we could not help but recognize her as the Lady."
"Head Butler... Was our own lack of foresight the reason the Young Master left the estate?"
"I believe we were all prisoners of the Lady's final words... Would you not agree?"
"Indeed, that must be so. 'Someday, I will surely return. I promise...' Did we misunderstand what those words truly meant?"
"If the Lady had truly returned, she would never have left the family she loved so dearly. That young lady was undoubtedly our Young Master. We simply refused to see that truth."
"What does the Lord intend to do? Does he truly intend to leave the Second Young Master in such a barbaric place as the Northern Frontier?"
"The royal decree... He gave his assent to it. It stipulates that if he fulfills the responsibilities expected of him, his position and status will be guaranteed, and he will be free to choose where he wishes to reside... That is His Majesty the King's will. Even if the head of the family is the powerful Minister of Magic, he is not permitted to question or object to a royal decree. The same applies to the heir. The young master's reports and submitted research will be conveyed to the kingdom through the Palace Magitech Institute. Compiling those reports and verifying his achievements are also among the responsibilities of our Lord, as the Minister of Magic. The fact that they remain so closely connected... is perhaps the only thing we can take comfort in for now."
The Minister of Magic’s Estate. The private quarters.
The Head Butler and Head Housekeeper, who oversaw the household affairs of the Minister of Magic’s house, wore somber expressions. Their thoughts turned to the many calamities that had crept into the family's life, bringing them to their present circumstances. For those entrusted with managing the estate, it had been one nightmare after another.
And yet, someone had brought that terrible succession of misfortunes to an end.
A fleeting flash of light.
The return of their late Lady.
The Minister of Magic’s family's second son had restored his honor, and the officials of the royal government had acknowledged his extraordinary determination—something virtually unheard of in noble society. As a result, he was reinstated into the nobility through an act of clemency.
Furthermore, he had even been granted the honor of receiving an official appointment as the Fifth Seat of the Palace Magitech Institute, headed by his father, the Minister of Magic himself.
He could be called the very hand of mercy that had lifted the Minister of Magic’s family from the depths of a pitch-black abyss. The return of their Second Young Master, whose cheerful smile and innocent, carefree nature had earned the loyalty of not only his family but even the servants, should have been nothing but a cause for celebration for the Minister of Magic’s household...
However, the two of them had clearly heard the words spoken by the High Countess, the wife of the Minister of Magic, as she lay on her deathbed.
Worried about her husband, whose heart was consumed by magic and its intricate formulas, as well as her young eldest son and newborn second son, she had promised that she would surely return after her death.
――― It was all for the sake of the Minister of Magic family. ―――
And for the sake of her beloved husband and sons. It was a vow made by the High Countess as the light of her life was about to go out.
A master who never returned home from the Palace Magitech Institute.
An eldest son still too young to fend for himself.
A second son who had only just been born.
The two of them, entrusted with managing the Minister of Magic’s household, could do nothing but remain at the High Countess's side and witness her final moments.
Perhaps it had been mere coincidence that the Head Chef was there as well. He had simply brought the High Countess her meal himself. And so, he too became one of those who heard her vow.
After speaking her vow, the High Countess quietly breathed her last, her heart still bound to this world.
Her peaceful, sleeping form marked the extinguishing of the warm light that had once illuminated the Minister of Magic’s household. The Head Butler would never forget the sound of the maids' quiet sobbing that lingered in his ears long afterward.
The Minister of Magic had arrived too late.
Beside his wife's bed, where she lay as though peacefully asleep, he finally realized how immature he had been and how much he had taken her for granted.
A vast emptiness had been carved into the Minister of Magic's heart. There was no one who could fill that void, and for many, many years afterward, he continued to wander through the darkness.
And so, the days passed, and the years went by...
That day, everyone in the Minister of Magic’s household witnessed a miracle at the estate's entrance.
A petite figure, yet one whose presence seemed immense, had returned to the Minister of Magic’s estate. A shy, almost bashful smile. A dignified bearing that seemed to contrast with that gentle expression.
It was hardly surprising that they felt as though the warm, gentle breeze they had lost long ago had begun blowing through the darkness-shrouded Minister of Magic’s household once more.
Those who remembered the “day the light went out” were overcome with joy rather than confusion.
It felt as though a bright, cheerful atmosphere had suddenly swept through the estate. A sincere prayer, and a vow that had been kept.
The moment those who had come to greet the figure standing in the entrance hall laid eyes upon her, every single one of them became convinced...
They had convinced themselves that it was true.
The return of the... "Lady," who had taken the name of the Second Young Master who had once left the estate.
The resemblance had been so striking that they could not help but see this person as the compassionate hand reaching out to them from the pitch-black abyss.
Time had stood still for the Minister of Magic’s household.
It was a place frozen in time, its people unable to move on as they mourned all they had lost. There was no doubt that a tremendous shock had struck that stagnant world.
The enormous timepiece that was the Minister of Magic’s family, its gears long frozen and motionless, had regained the power to move forward.
And that power had chosen its own path and acted upon that decision. Like a guiding light, it seemed to demonstrate that the power to move forward was something everyone possessed.
The Head Butler could almost hear a voice that wasn't there.
"Look ahead and move forward. Protecting the people is the duty of the nobility. Unless we show compassion and cherish those who support our kingdom, there is no meaning in taking pride in being nobles. This is especially true for our great house, which has devoted itself to the study of magic. Bringing happiness to the people is also the mission entrusted to our house. Now, go forth. Keep your eyes ahead and stride forward with strength. I will always be watching over you. Do you understand, Head Butler?"
The Head Butler thought he heard the creaking of a rusted axle as the enormous gears began to turn once more.
A long sigh escaped the Head Butler's lips.
But the gears had not yet begun to turn. The flame that had been kindled was still small, and it would take time for them to emerge from the darkness.
The Head Housekeeper kept her eyes lowered to the floor, unable to even move as regret burned in her chest. The remorse was profound. After enduring such unfathomably deep despair, they had finally found a glimmer of "light," only to let that light slip away to the distant Northern Frontier.
Their suffering was far from over. The people of the Minister of Magic’s household had been blinded by appearances, unable to see the truth beneath the surface. They had misunderstood the will of their "light."
And yet, a worthy guiding principle had been shown to them.
Time had not yet begun moving again for the Minister of Magic’s household. But if its family members and servants could realize that the power to move forward still existed within themselves...
The Head Butler sensed something in the air, a premonition that kindled a small ember of joy deep within his heart.
Anyone serving the Minister of Magic’s household knew that activating an enormous magic circle required it to be charged with sufficient magic power.
This was a quiet moment before the time of change, before everything began to move once more.
To take a step toward the future, one had to raise one's head and look ahead.
Walking in the right direction, along the path toward the light, was an exceedingly difficult undertaking.
Yet someone had overcome those difficulties, unwavering in their convictions even when condemned as a fool.
And those very convictions were none other than the beliefs held dear by the Lady herself—the very light of the Minister of Magic’s household.
The rusted gears of the Minister of Magic’s household had indeed begun to stir...
――― The Head Butler had finally realized it. ―――
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