"…So… Sicana shouldn't have done those things, right?"
After a long silence, Charlotte finally asked.
"Not exactly."
Lolan replied calmly, "After all, no one can go through life doing only the right things."
He gave the girl's head two final rubs. "The helplessness of being an adult is knowing something is wrong… and still having to do it."
"Mm…"
"But I'm not really in a position to judge him."
There was a trace of laughter in Lolan's voice. "Because if it were little Charlotte who got hurt, I would also do things that are objectively wrong."
"…Don't touch my head. I won't grow taller."
The girl swatted his hand away. She sounded annoyed—but there was unmistakable happiness in her tone.
Lolan knew she was no longer dwelling on the matter, so he shifted the subject.
"By the way, my adorable little Charlotte."
"Mm-hm?"
"Would you like to try learning magic from me?"
"…Huh?"
——————————————————
The next day, the planned lesson did not begin as scheduled—because Lantra's family came to visit.
As for Lolan saving Lantra—although Lolan hadn't specifically gone there to rescue him, the fact remained that Lantra was alive because of him.
Naturally, Lora's entire family came to express their gratitude.
"Mr. L-Lolan… thank you."
Such a formal expression of thanks made Lora uncomfortable. After all, whenever she and Lolan met before, they would immediately start bickering. A serious conversation like this had never happened.
Just as Lora was beginning to feel awkward, a rather theatrical burst of laughter rang in her ears.
"Ku-hahahaha! So you've finally come to this!"
Lolan stood with hands on hips, laughing triumphantly. Then he leaned forward, bringing his face close to Lora's ear.
"This is the expression I wanted to see! That look on your face when you have no choice but to show me respect!"
"Guh…"
Under normal circumstances, Lora would already be arguing back. But now Lolan was her family's benefactor—she simply couldn't. Faced with his provocation, she could only endure it.
Lantra, Caitlin, and Charlotte all wore complicated expressions. Especially Lantra and Caitlin—they never would have imagined that the mysterious powerhouse from yesterday possessed such… an abstract personality.
"Come on, say it again!"
"Guh!"
"Hm?"
"…Mr. Lolan, thank you."
"Can't hear you! That tiny voice is how you thank someone?!"
"Mmgh…"
Looking at Lolan's petty, triumphant grin, the girl finally couldn't hold it in anymore. She lifted her head and glared at him.
"Hm? What are you planning? I'm your benefactor now!"
"Lolan, you jerk!"
Lora clenched her fists. "Every time I try to give you a little more respect, you open your mouth!"
"W-Wait, what are you doing?!"
Seeing Lora approaching with raised fists, Lolan's face paled. "Charlotte, save me!"
"Mr. Lantra, please have a seat."
Charlotte completely ignored him and guided Caitlin and Lantra to sit down, pouring them tea.
Realizing Charlotte was no help, Lolan turned back toward Lora, who looked ready to explode.
"C-Can we negotiate?"
"At a time like this, you think I'm joking?"
"Aaaaah!!"
In short, the scene was disastrous.
Afterward, Lora and Charlotte went to Charlotte's room to play, leaving the three adults behind.
Caitlin looked at Lolan. "You've put in a lot of effort. Thank you."
"It's nothing," Lolan yawned. "I actually quite like that girl Lora."
Then he looked toward Lantra.
"More importantly, I'm curious about something. What exactly is your relationship with Sicana?"
Caitlin bit her lip and looked at her husband.
Lantra fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
"It was about… twenty years ago. I hadn't retired yet. I was still working as a prosecutor."
"There was a case—a whole family slaughtered brutally. The Inspection Bureau arrested the culprit. It was Sicana."
"At the time, he was just a newly married young man."
"I felt something wasn't right. Sicana didn't look like a murderer. He looked… framed."
"So I investigated further. And as I suspected, the real killer was someone else."
Lantra let out a deep sigh.
"But just when I was about to continue the investigation, I received orders from above. I was told to stop."
"In the end, I failed to clear his name. I thought that at the very least, I should protect his family. But they chose to leave the royal capital. They moved somewhere I don't know."
"I thought they would live peacefully. I thought those people would at least spare Sicana's family…"
"But I was wrong."
In that instant, the old man seemed to age even more.
"I wronged Sicana."
"Old man…"
Caitlin held Lantra's hand tightly.
"I see…"
Lolan sighed softly. "He's a pitiful man as well."
After the conversation ended, Lolan saw Lora's family out. He then sat in his chair for a long while, deep in thought. Finally, he stood, told Charlotte he had something to take care of, and left the house.
The Inspection Bureau's prison wasn't particularly strict in general.
But for some reason, the area around Sicana's cell was guarded heavily.
Perhaps because this case had caught His Majesty the King's attention, so the Bureau was being extra cautious?
Who knew.
Sicana stared blankly at the faint light filtering through the small window high in his cell wall. A bitter smile tugged at his lips.
He never imagined things would end like this.
Because of a little girl, all his plans—his vengeance—had crumbled.
His limbs were bound with restraints forged from anti-magic stone. Not even the slightest trace of magic could be summoned.
For some reason, he thought again of that man from last night—the one so powerful he couldn't resist.
If only… he had possessed such strength…
Heh. What use was thinking about that now?
Suddenly, he realized something.
It was too quiet.
The usual sounds of guards had vanished. It was as if he were the only person left in the prison.
Sicana frowned.
Footsteps echoed.
The prisoner lifted his head—
And met the eyes of the very man he had just been thinking about. The man whose power had been overwhelming.
"Sicana."
The man tapped lightly on the iron bars.
"Tell me."
"What is the name of your enemy?"