Interlude 09 - The Clock of the Minister of Magic's Household Begins to Turn (2)
The second son of the Minister of Magic's House was, by the standards of a noble family, a boy whose behavior occasionally strayed from what was considered 'noble common sense.' Due to the circumstances of his upbringing, he had been something of a challenge for the Minister of Magic's House to handle. Nevertheless, his eagerness to learn and keen insight more than made up for his extraordinarily low reserves of internal magic, an unusual deficiency for a boy of the Minister of Magic's House. His tutors, assigned to him by the family, praised him to no end, yet he acted as though such praise were only natural.
"After all, I am a genius."
The only ones who could admonish him for such arrogance were his elder brother, the heir, and his father, the Minister of Magic. However, both harbored their own deep-seated reservations, and rarely showed the second son much affection as a family member. Just barely... just barely, his elder brother, the heir, had maintained some semblance of a relationship with him, but...
――Perhaps the second son had struggled to find his place in the family.
That was the head butler's assessment. The head housekeeper had shared the same concern. Indeed, during his time at the Magic Academy, despite being the second son of a high-ranking noble family, he had kept his distance from the children of other prominent houses, devoting himself almost entirely to research. The only person he had ever called a 'friend' was merely a low-ranking noble with abundant internal magic: the third son of a minor knightly house from the frontier.
Reports from the Magic Academy, including his academic rankings, had kept the Minister of Magic's House informed of his school life in considerable detail. The Minister of Magic himself, however, had never shown much interest in his second son. As long as the boy caused no trouble, he scarcely cared what he did. Concerned by the second son's limited social circle, the head butler had even submitted a 'request' to his supervising instructor, asking that the boy be given opportunities to develop his social skills.
And the friendship that had resulted from that request was with none other than the third son of a low-ranking knightly house from the frontier. Through that very connection, the 'light' of the Minister of Magic's House came to desire a life far away, in the northern frontier. The head butler was consumed by regret over the fact that his own request had ultimately driven the second son away from the family. It was no exaggeration to say that he had completely misjudged the second son of his master, a young man with such an indomitable spirit.
――――
The second son had refused the kingdom's request in order to remain true to his convictions.
To avoid bringing 'disaster' upon his family, the second son had renounced his noble status and fled. The Minister of Magic had been left utterly speechless by his son's audacious decision, while the heir blamed himself for having driven his younger brother to such an extreme.
As word of the incident spread, the count's house to which he had been engaged when he entered the Magic Academy formally notified the Minister of Magic's House that the engagement was to be annulled. The count's family could hardly be expected to accept an engagement to someone who had fled his household, renounced his noble status, and come to be regarded as a 'traitor to the crown.' And that was not all...
――The heir's engagement had been broken off as well.
The heir's fiancée's father had sent a formal declaration of annulment, explaining that he could not allow his daughter to marry into a house that had produced a 'traitor' among its own members. Given that the family was a count's house with close ties to the military, perhaps their decision was inevitable. The heir had accepted it with a bitter smile. The head butler, meanwhile, felt another 'light' go out in the Minister of Magic's House.
Through the servants' connections, word had reached them that both brothers' former fiancées had abandoned them and promptly entered into new engagements, despite the ongoing war. 'I suppose that is all one can expect,' the head butler thought, his shoulders slumping alongside those of the head housekeeper. They had been made painfully aware that a single scandal could bring about not only a family's downfall, but the decline of its entire lineage.
In stark contrast, the attendants assigned to the second son had sympathized with his 'principles' and chosen to accompany him. They were, without question, 'heretics of noble society.' Even the head butler had been at a loss for words. These attendants, who were themselves collateral members of the Minister of Magic's House, had willingly accepted the disgrace of being branded 'traitors' and followed the second son into exile.
There was no denying that this had utterly tarnished the noble standing of their entire family. From the day they fled, all trace of them had been lost. When the head butler learned of this, he could only suppress his turmoil by murmuring a few quiet words.
'You attendants... I understand how you feel. I truly do...'
But for the head butler, who had no choice but to keep facing reality, one disastrous event after another had unfolded. The 'light' of the Minister of Magic's House remained extinguished... as though swallowed by an abyss of utter darkness... All they could do was wait in silence for the time to come. With no end to the war in sight, the Minister of Magic's House stood on the brink of ruin. Needless to say, the fact that both the Minister of Magic and the heir were also losing their standing within the Palace Magitech Institute weighed heavily on the head butler's heart.
―――― But then, a turning point arrived.
After the war ended and peace returned to everyday life, the Minister of Magic received an order from the Prime Minister's Office to ascertain the whereabouts of the 'second son of the Minister of Magic's House.' Although he should ordinarily have been punished as a traitor, His Majesty the King, acting through the Prime Minister, issued a decree granting the second son a 'pardon,' allowing him to reclaim his noble status.
It was proof that His Majesty had acknowledged the second son's unwavering convictions. In the face of the King's decision, the other noble houses had no choice but to accept his stance as well. The decree also brought about a dramatic recovery in the public reputation of the Minister of Magic's House, which had fallen to rock bottom.
However...
The second son himself remained in hiding. It was also true that finding him proved to be a lengthy undertaking. Astonishingly, the First Prince's close aide, a staff officer of the Royal Guard, mobilized agents from the kingdom's intelligence service to conduct the search. They eventually located his attendants and, through them, succeeded in finding the second son of the Minister of Magic's House.
And at last, his return was secured.
The Minister of Magic's House erupted in joy. On the day of his return, those who had once served the High Countess saw in his figure the return of their former mistress. They couldn't help but see it. Like a single ray of light piercing through the deepest darkness.
And they lost their minds. Their mistaken belief... became so deeply rooted that they convinced themselves they had received a divine revelation. They became certain that 'the Lady' had returned. As a result... the second son of the Minister of Magic's House found himself with nowhere to belong in his own family home. There was only one person he could turn to.
Yes, the 'friend' he had made in the northern frontier: the third son of a minor knightly house, a member of the lower nobility.
――― § ――― § ―――
A letter arrived at the Minister of Magic's House from the distant northern frontier. It was addressed to the head of the family, and there was no need to examine its contents to know that it had been written by the second son. Only the head of the house and the heir knew what it contained, for it had been sent in the form of a personal letter. There was a strong likelihood that it contained confidential information.
The head butler and head housekeeper braced themselves, fearing some grave development. Yet both the family head and the heir merely gave wry smiles before speaking.
"That's just like him, honestly..."
"After all, my younger brother is a 'genius.'"
That was how the two of them voiced their thoughts. What followed, however, was a flurry of activity on their part, as everyone soon came to know. Within just a few days, preparations had apparently been completed, and the heir informed the head butler of his 'official duty.'
— Mission: Transport of Important Documents —
Issued by the Prime Minister's Office. Received by the Palace Magitech Institute. Armed with an official document granting the mission full legal authority, the heir had cheerfully volunteered to undertake it. A few days later, with all preparations complete, he stood at the entrance to the Minister of Magic's House. Facing the head butler, who oversaw the household's affairs, he wore a bright, carefree smile and casually announced his departure.
"Well then, I'm off."
"...We eagerly await your return."
"Indeed. I'm only taking the 'confidential documents' my younger brother needs. So it shouldn't... probably won't take very long."
"What did the family head say?"
"He told me to go see how he's doing. Father is such an awkward man. He ought to go himself. He's still troubled by the disgraceful way he behaved."
"I understand how he feels. But... are you personally taking those documents, Young Master?"
"Yes. Normally, these confidential documents are not permitted to leave the Magic Academy's restricted archives. However, they granted permission on the grounds that 'if the Fifth Seat of the Palace Magitech Institute requires them.' Naturally, someone must take responsibility for their removal. And so I... the Third Seat of the Research Bureau, volunteered."
"...You've certainly bent the rules."
"I've been wanting to do something for him. I'm also curious about the frontier. When you spend all your time shut away in the depths of the Palace Magitech Institute, immersed in research, your perspective tends to narrow. I'm sure this will be a valuable learning experience. ...Well, I'm off. As the heir, I hereby entrust the household affairs to you, Head Butler."
"At your command."
The carriage door closed, and the vehicle gradually receded into the distance, growing smaller and smaller. In the head butler's ears came the sound of an illusion: the steady beat of the pendulum marking the passage of time, and the creaking of gears as they finally began to turn. Watching the carriage disappear down the road, the head butler felt that the hands of the Minister of Magic's Household’s clock had indeed begun marking a new hour…
Yes... That was what he felt.
Comments
Post a Comment