Why go through so much trouble? The reason isn't complicated—it's simply to avoid attracting attention.
Fiore broke off ties with the Forvedge Family on her own and left home. Aside from Caules, all family members wished for her to return to assume the position of head of the family and inherit the magic crest, and they never gave up searching for her.
If Fiore openly visited Caules, the news would likely reach the Forvedge family by the next day. Even though their prestige as spirit summoners is waning, they still hold some influence. If that happened, the family might come out in full force to bring Fiore back.
Fiore had already decided to leave the family, so returning was not an option. Caules, who had a close relationship with his sister since childhood, would be caught between his family and his sister.
He couldn't bring himself to help the family capture his sister.
But if he didn't help and let her go, he might face serious consequences himself—there were already voices in the family discontent with him. They might accuse him of deliberately letting Fiore escape to secure his position as head, possibly even resurrecting the extreme notion of killing him to force her to return.
Therefore, Fiore couldn't be discovered.
While troubled by this, word spread that Waver was heading to the Mystic Eyes Collection Train, and Caules was among those accompanying him.
The Mystic Eyes Collection Train is a domain of Dead Apostles, where the Forvedge family has no influence. Fiore asked Luvia to obtain an invitation for her, planning to disguise herself and secretly meet with her brother on the train. She went alone to avoid implicating Luvia if something went wrong.
Those familiar with Luvia knew that while she appeared rational, she was emotional and valued her friends. The more Fiore insisted on going alone, the less likely Luvia would let her. However, Fiore's concerns were not unfounded, so Luvia sought another way and eventually turned to Yvette.
The Lehrman family had a good relationship with the Edelfelt family, and the mastermind behind the scenes also wanted to use this opportunity to disguise Yvette's financial backing. They agreed to give up a spot in exchange for a loan and not compete with Yvette herself.
Everything proceeded smoothly from there. Fiore wrapped herself up tightly, boarded the train, and narrowly avoided the impostor Caules several times, using codes only they would understand. The impostor didn't get it, arousing Fiore's suspicion. After observing him in secret and confirming he was a fake, she had Luvia pass a note to Waver.
Waver, erring on the side of caution, called back to verify and quickly found the real Caules.
"I was sleeping soundly at home, and when I opened my eyes, I found myself in an abandoned building. I thought someone had cast an illusion on me. And when I woke up, several days had passed."
Caules glared at the impostor with gritted teeth. The thought of what could have happened chilled him to the bone—what if this bastard had killed him or used that flawless disguise to do something terrible?
"Thanks to Svin, his nose is amazing."
The impostor wasn't surprised.
"He was the only one I was wary of. Caules Forvedge had only been in El-Melloi's classroom for a few weeks; I thought I could get by, but his sense of smell was a problem. I heard he was temporarily away for special courses in the First Department, so I thought it was a good opportunity. You and Miss Adashino teamed up when it became clear I was an impostor, right?"
"Right."
Waver nodded readily.
"Even after confirming with Reines that you were an impostor, I couldn't subdue you. If I told Gray or Melvin, they probably wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret. The only one who could successfully deceive you was Miss Adashino. And to set up a binding curse secretly, Miss Trisha's head was the first choice. But since I had no experience working with her, I was on edge throughout the auction."
"By the way, how did the real Caules get here? Honestly, I thought if you exposed me with a phone call or communication magecraft, I could still find a way to bluff through it."
"It was Reines—"
"Wait, professor, it wasn't Miss Reines."
Caules quickly corrected.
Waver was startled: "Not Reines?"
"No."
"Then who—"
"I brought him here."
With a creak, the door opened once more.
The person who appeared was a woman with a commanding presence that overwhelmed everyone. Her long, flaxen hair was tied back, her pristine white formal attire immaculate, and the magic wand in her hand, resembling a flexible baton, sliced through the air. The slightly upturned corners of her eyes exuded an aura of superiority, like a queen.
Gasps echoed around the room.
Caules became nervous; Gray lowered her head, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible; Yvette restrained her usual charm;
Luvia and Fiore's expressions grew serious; Shinji was dumbfounded, his mind racing with expletives—why is another one showing up?
Even the extreme hedonist Melvin and the Uncrowned Lord Waver showed respect for her;
Adashino, the mastermind behind the plot, stepped forward and respectfully bowed before the woman:
"Lord, why have you come?"
The only person Adashino would address as Lord was Barthomelo Lorelei, the current head of the Department of Policies and the Queen of the Clock Tower.
"Professor Velvet was attacked, and the Modern Magecraft Department is in chaos. The Department of Policies couldn't ignore it. Besides, I wanted to see the famous Mystic Eyes Collection Train, so I asked Reines to give me this opportunity. Professor Velvet, your idea to fly here with Touko Travel was clever, but it's a bit too taxing for Miss Reines. As her brother, you should have considered that more."
Touko Travel, another patent sold to the Clock Tower by Aozaki Touko, inspired by a witch's legend, simplified a complex flying magecraft to the point where many magi could use it.
Of course, simplifying the spell came with a price.
First, it was inspired by a witch's legend, so it required the use of witch's ointment, a tool limited to female users. Therefore, only female magi could use this spell.
Second, the flying experience was terrible. It had nothing to do with the human dream of soaring freely through the sky.
It was less like flying and more like being catapulted. After locking onto the target, it was like being pulled by an extremely long rubber band. As long as the mana supply held out, you'd keep flying until you reached your destination.
In such a state, the ride was naturally unpleasant, and the caster would be in a daze for almost the entire process. Even if they reached the destination safely, they would need a considerable amount of time to recover.
It's a love-hate spell with a strong personal touch.
P.S.: Haha, as expected, the girls are all here, one after another. Next, it's time to pave the way for the Fifth Holy Grail War—this entire volume has been leading to this moment. Flirting might be fun in the short term, but remember, you'll have to take responsibility in the end!