Silent Witch

Book 16: Chapter 9: Monica's Message

While maintaining the magic duel barrier and observing the situation, Neil confirmed that Louis's mana was depleted in the crystal ball and called out to Cyril.

"The mana of the Barrier Magician has been exhausted. I will dissolve the magic duel barrier."

"Yeah."

Due to the insect-attracting curse cast by the Abyss Shaman, Louis had to continue maintaining the barrier until the curse's effect wore off. Moreover, flowers that absorb mana were planted in the flower field.

Louis's mana was depleted almost at the same time as the insect-attracting curse wore off.

If his mana ran out, he could no longer fly to the palace using flight magic.

Louis is quick-witted and eloquent. So they detained him here to prevent him become a hindrance at the council meeting.

Furthermore, Louis is also skilled in close-quarters combat. So they erected a magic duel barrier to seal that ability.

Additionally, Louis is also proficient in magic duels. So they set a trap to drain his mana.

In short, Monica thoroughly adhered to the two points of "not engaging Louis in his areas of expertise" and "only detaining him."

After dissolving the magic duel barrier, Neil and Cyril headed towards the forest to regroup with Glenn and the others.

"Did the Supreme Council meeting end safely?"

Neil muttered, and Cyril snorted and strode on ahead.

"We went to such great lengths It must have been accomplished."

He didn't specify who, but Cyril's words still carried a hint of trust.

That's right. Cyril and Neil didn't trust the Silent Witch, but rather the young girl Monica, the student council member, whom they sent off.

She would surely handle it well.

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With that thought in mind, Neil looked up ahead and froze.

"U, Um, Vice President look"

"What is that smoke!?"

From the direction of the flower field where the final magic duel took place, smoke was billowing up.

With an ominous feeling, the two hurried toward the direction of the smoke and saw

"Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough! Ah, Neil! Vice President! P-Please help! Cough! Ugh"

Glenn and Roberto, tied up with vines and hanging upside down from a tree, being smoked from below by a bonfire.

Next to the bonfire, Louis Miller the Barrier Magician was waving his discarded jacket to fan the flames, directing the smoke right at Glenn and the others.

"Wh-, What on earth is happening?"

Neil asked apprehensively, and Louis turned his head.

"I'm burning smoke that repels insects to get rid of the insects on my jacket. It's also a bonus that I can smoke out these brats, killing two birds with one stone."

For the thirty minutes until the insect-attracting curse wore off, Louis had to maintain the barrier while being swarmed by insects at his feet. Now, with a straight face, he grumbled as he waved his jacket, causing smoke to billow up and strike Glenn and Roberto directly.

Louis's mana should have been depleted but it seems that after the magic duel barrier was dissolved and physical attacks became possible, he captured Glenn and Roberto and hung them upside down.

"Um, where is Senior Hubert Dee?"

Neil asked with a strained expression, and Glenn shouted through the smoke.

"That guy, cough, used us as decooys Cough, and escapeeeeeeeed~~!!"

Tears streamed down Glenn's face, seemingly from the smoke irritating his eyes, while Roberto simply said, "Regrettable," with his usual calm demeanor.

As Neil fretted about how to get them down, Louis glared at him and Cyril.

"Now, I can see that you are the sons of Marquis Highon and Baron Maywood family But this prank has gone a bit too far for children's mischief. Are your fathers aware of this?"

He was implying that he would inform their fathers.

Cyril was about to retaliate, but Neil stopped him with "Please wait."

Cyril was probably going to take responsibility, but as the descendant of the Mediator family, it was Neil's role to mediate this situation.

"Silent Witch, Magic Count Monica Everett, is acting to secure the release of Prince Felix Ark Ridill."

"That prince is an imposter. That is an unchangeable truth."

Louis glared at them, and Neil nodded in acknowledgment.

"Yes, we know."

Louis slightly raised his eyebrow at those words.

Louis probably thought that Neil and the others were assisting Monica without knowing the circumstances.

"Silent Witch Magic Count Everett explained everything to us and then asked for our cooperation. We stand here fully aware of the situation."

"That little girl?"

Louis narrowed his ash-purple eyes behind his monocle.

"That's a hard story to believe at first. She's not the type of witch to easily trust others, is she?"

Cyril twitched his brow at Louis's barbed words.

He was about to retort with a furrowed brow, but Neil gently restrained him and looked Louis straight in the eye.

"Magic Count Everett no, let me put it this way. Miss Monica trusted us. That's why we responded in kind. That's all there is to it."

It's easy to say, "That's all there is to it." But it's hard to imagine how much courage the shy Monica had to muster to do so.

That's why Neil wanted to respond to Monica's trust. After all, she was his fellow student council member for a year.

"Regarding this matter, Miss Monica intends to resolve it as follows,

Prince Felix is the real one. Any implications that he was an imposter were due to being brainwashed by a certain curse magician's curse.'

The Duke Crockford and Prince Felix were victims ensnared by that shaman and it will be settled without anyone being executed."

Monica has an ace up her sleeve to bring down Duke Crockford.

However, if she pushes the Duke too far, she risks exposing the truth from ten years ago and implicating Isaac Walker.

More importantly, if the Duke, the most influential figure in this country, is executed as a criminal, it will cause great turmoil in national politics.

The Duke has overseen far too many matters in the court. He may be a ruthless person, but his contributions to this country are also overwhelmingly significant.

Listening to Neil's explanation, Louis scowled unpleasantly and grumbled while wrinkling his nose.

"I see, in other words, she intends to sweep everything under the rug. That little girl has become quite cunning But even so, the chances are fifty-fifty. If Duke Crockford forces his way through, anything could happen."

"No, Miss Monica will definitely win."

Neil firmly stated, and Louis gave him a skeptical look.

"Are you going to say something like, Because I believe in my friend'?"

"Well, that's part of it, but"

Neil smiled at Louis's sarcasm, cleared his throat slightly, and straightened his posture.

"Miss Monica has left a message to us."

During the strategy meeting, Monica made this suggestion to Neil.

If Louis is extremely angry and takes it out on Glenn and the others, please convey this to him'

And then Monica took a breath, put on a somewhat serious expression, and said,

"'Listen, my colleague, the game has begun before you even sit down at the table.'"

Upon hearing those words, Louis opened his eyes wide to their limit and muttered in disbelief.

A resolution where no one, not even Duke Crockford or Isaac Walker, is executed and everything is swept under the rug.

Who stands to benefit the most from this outcome?

It is