---

“Long time no see, Chairman.”

Stepping out of the wagon, I was greeted by Mondri Cremont, the Chancellor of Meikhael University.

“…Was it really necessary to come all the way out here to meet me?”

“Hehe… It’s been quite difficult to catch a glimpse of your face lately, Chairman.”

Indeed, it had been a long time since I last visited the school. Due to the aftermath of the northern expedition, I had been running around with the Emperor, making it hard to find time to come here. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had a proper conversation with Mondri.

“I was busy. There was no other way.”

“Being busy is just an excuse. Even when Sir Arthur was in the Chairman’s position, he made it a point to visit the school at least once a week.”

Mondri wasn’t the only one who came to greet me. Standing beside him was Professor Ariel Rizeute.

“Long time no see, Professor Ariel.”

“Yes, indeed. And congratulations.”

“Congratulations?”

“I heard the news about your marriage. Not just one, but three beautiful partners? Congratulations.”

Though her tone was slightly sarcastic, Ariel genuinely congratulated me. After clearing up all misunderstandings during the northern expedition, she no longer held any animosity toward me.

“It’s too early for congratulations. I haven’t even set a date yet.”

“Who knows when I’ll see you again? Consider this an early congratulations. Given how busy you are, Chairman, I might not even get to see you on the wedding day.”

Perhaps Ariel was right. I was planning to marry them after the service launch, once everything was settled. Until then, I would be too busy to visit the school often.

“By the way, Chairman, Wendy might feel lonely once you get married.”

“…Wendy?”

“Yes. Wendy adores you and follows you around a lot.”

“…I suppose.”

“Even though she skipped grades, she’s still a young girl who needs a lot of affection. It might be none of my business, but please don’t neglect her just because you’re married.”

Ariel, unaware of the circumstances, spoke as if scolding me.

“To Wendy, you’re like a father figure. If that father figure gets married, she might feel insecure, fearing her place in your life will shrink.”

“No… I’m not her father or anything…”

“There’s no need to be humble. If it weren’t for you, Wendy wouldn’t have been able to spread her wings at our school. It’s no exaggeration to say that Wendy is where she is today because of your support.”

“……”

I understood what Ariel meant. But regardless, my conscience felt as if it were being pricked by needles. Fortunately, Mondri intervened at the right moment.

“Hehe… Professor Ariel, let’s not take up too much of the Chairman’s time.”

“Ah, my apologies. It’s been a while since I last saw him, so I got carried away. I’ll take my leave now…”

Professor Ariel bowed slightly and then hurried off toward the research building. Did she really come just to greet me?

“Are you heading to the library today?”

“Yes.”

“Then follow me. I’ll guide you to the entrance.”

Mondri took the lead.

I could have gone alone, but since he offered to guide me, I didn’t refuse. He probably had something to say. Sure enough, as the library came into view, Mondri spoke up.

“Chairman, what do you think of Professor Ariel?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Ah… I might be asking out of the blue. What do you think of Professor Ariel’s abilities?”

“……She’s an outstanding professor. As a senior professor, she sets a good example.”

There was no doubt about Ariel’s abilities. But Mondri, as the Chancellor, should know that better than I do. Why was he asking me this?

The answer came quickly.

“In that case, would it be acceptable to appoint Professor Ariel as Chancellor in my place?”

“……Mondri, are you planning to step down?”

“Hehe… Actually, there’s no need for me to step down. I’ve only been acting as the interim Chancellor. Though it has been quite a while.”

Chancellor Mondri stroked his beard and smiled. His smile wasn’t that of an old, weary man, but rather like a child who had discovered something new and exciting.

“That’s sudden. What do you plan to do after handing over the Chancellor position to Ariel?”

“Actually, I plan to challenge the position of Sage again.”

“Sage?”

This time, I couldn’t help but be surprised. I thought Mondri had given up on becoming a Sage long ago.

“Hehe… They say that when death approaches, unfulfilled dreams haunt you more than missed meals. I feel like I need to give it a try before I get too old. Don’t you think so, Master?”

“You fool.”

At that moment, a calico cat emerged from my shadow. Myohail, the true Chancellor of Meikhael University and the pinnacle of mages, looked at Mondri with dissatisfaction.

“What have you been doing all this time, only now wanting to become a Sage? It’s too late.”

“Hehe… Is it too late to become a Sage?”

“It’s too late to change your mind, you foolish disciple.”

Myohail’s form shimmered for a moment, and an elderly man appeared. He looked older than Mondri but was taller and stood straighter. Though I had never seen this old man before, I realized it was the true form of Sage Myohail.

Seeing his master’s true form after so long, Mondri looked slightly surprised.

“Master…”

“You said you didn’t want it, so why change your mind now?”

“At first, I was afraid of failure. Then, as I got older, I feared my declining skills would be exposed. Yes… I think I was always afraid.”

Mondri gave a bitter smile and suddenly looked at me.

“That was before I met you, Chairman.”

“Me?”

“You might not remember, but during the academic festival, you once said to me…”

-Shouldn’t the Chancellor prepare something for the academic festival?

-Me? No… It’s been a while since I last stood on the podium…

-You were once a mage who challenged the position of Sage. You’re ahead of most mages.

I remembered. I had indeed said something like that.

“After hearing that, I realized something. All the professors at this school are diligent in their research, but I, as the Chancellor, had never set an example.”

It was a casual remark at the time. But it seemed Mondri had taken it seriously.

“Looking back now, I fear losing my passion more than failure or my skills dulling. I fear losing the desire for magic and the pursuit of truth that Professor Ariel and the other professors possess. That’s why I plan to hand over the Chancellor position to Professor Ariel and challenge the Magic Tower.”

“……”

“Though it’s late, will you grant me permission to retire for the sake of this old man’s lingering regrets?”

The retirement of the Chancellor is usually decided by the school’s board of directors. However, the Ruelberta Family holds significant influence over the school and its foundation. In this situation, my opinion as the Chairman and Count Ruelberta carries more weight than the board’s decision. That’s why Mondri was making this request to me.

‘Honestly, there’s no reason to oppose it.’

Given that Mondri was making such a request, it would be unreasonable to refuse. However, I wanted to keep him in the Chancellor’s seat a little longer.

[63 days until service launch]

Players will soon flood in. Though we’re well-prepared, losing a talent like him to protect the school is something I’d rather avoid.

“I’ll grant your retirement.”

“Thank you…”

“But not immediately. You can’t step down until you’ve fully handed over your responsibilities to Professor Ariel. Similarly, you’ll need to wait until a successor is found for the senior professor position she currently holds. Is that acceptable?”

“Yes, of course. I have no intention of leaving immediately.”

“Hmm… Shouldn’t you learn more under me before you go?”

Myohail tapped his staff on the ground and clicked his tongue. Mondri shook his head at his master’s grumbling.

“That won’t be necessary. There’s nothing more for me to learn from you, Master.”

“Arrogant fool. Don’t come crying when you fail to become a Sage.”

“Hehe… Just wait a little longer. I’ll become a disciple who surpasses the master.”

Soon, we arrived at the entrance of the library, the Stairs of Truth.

“Hehe… Then this old man will take his leave now, Chairman.”

Mondri gave us a slight nod.

“I’ll be waiting for the wedding invitation.”

*

[Report any abnormalities at the Wall.]

“No abnormalities at the Wall… Sir!”

[Understood. Good work.]

Ding-ding.

After reporting to the magic bell, the striped cat, Myoruji, wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Phew… I, I did it…”

Having just graduated from the librarian training school and become a second-class librarian, he was still a rookie with a childish way of speaking. Even this reporting process was a nerve-wracking experience for him.

The entrance to Meikhael University’s library, the Wall of Truth, was referred to as the “Wall” by the librarians.

“Hahaha. Who’s coming anyway? Just take it easy.”

“Se, Senior Librarian Myomegi…”

Myomegi, a cat with a mustache, patted Myoruji’s shoulder and laughed.

“The radio calls are just formalities. No matter what you say, they’ll just say ‘understood.'”

“B, but you never know…”

“Never know what? Are you worried about mice sneaking in? With all the cats around here, do you really think mice would dare come in? Unless they’re insane!”

“Well, that’s true…”

In fact, Myomegi was right. The Wall served as the library’s entrance, blocking intruders, but the duty was quite relaxed.

During the semester, students and professors would come to borrow books, but during breaks like this, outsiders were strictly controlled. Aside from the occasional visit by high-ranking professors, most of the work involved checking library passes and turning people away.

Moreover, the highest authority of the library had been absent for a long time. It was only natural for discipline to slacken.

“Hey, I’m going to take a nap. Wake me up if anything happens.”

“Y, yes!”

“I’m trusting you, so stay alert. Got it?”

“Y, you can count on me!”

Myomegi took off his apron and squeezed himself into a space between the bookshelves.

Left alone, Myoruji stood on the Wall made of books, tense and alert.

“Ah…!”

Spotting visitors approaching, Myoruji grabbed a wooden club and stepped forward.

“H, halt for inspection! May I see your library pass…?”

“It’s me.”

The one who spoke was an elderly man. He stood there, shamelessly claiming it was him, and stared blankly at Myoruji’s request.

“D, did I hear that wrong?”

“Hehe… Have you forgotten my real face already?”

“With that appearance, it’s no wonder you’re unrecognizable. Will this library pass do?”

The gentleman in black standing next to the old man pulled out a card and handed it to Myoruji. He seemed to be a professor, with a dignified and respectable demeanor.

But when Myoruji checked the man’s library pass, his mind went blank.

“Huh……?”

Purple.

It was a purple library pass. Among all the library passes, there was only one of this color. It could only mean one thing.

VVVIP.

Someone far above even the highest authority in this library.

In the young Myoruji’s mind, a conversation from earlier flashed like a slideshow.

-Senior Librarian Myomegi, you’ve seen a purple library pass before, right?

-Ah, yes. It was when I was a first-class librarian… My hands were shaking. Phew… If it were you, you probably would’ve wet yourself.

-Ugh…

Senior Librarian Myomegi’s words were almost true.

“Th, th-th-th-second-class librarian Myo…Myoru…”

Myoruji’s teeth chattered. He didn’t wet himself, but his legs gave out, and he collapsed.

But the surprises didn’t end there.

“Hmm. I guess I need to show my true form for you to recognize me.”

The elderly man tapped his staff on the ground, and in an instant, he transformed into a calico cat.

“Myo, Myo…Myoil, sir…”

Even as a rookie, Myoruji knew there was only one calico cat in this library. None other than the highest authority who had been absent for months, Myoil.

“Where’s your senior? Why are you alone here?”

“Th, th-th-th…”

The shock of facing such a high authority left Myoruji unable to speak.

Seeing this, Tristan, who had been observing the bookshelves in the corner, answered for him.

“He’s asleep.”

 

---