"It's troublesome, you say?"
"I don't think I've mentioned this before, but I'm not actually a member of the Aozaki family. I'm just staying here—essentially, an outsider."
Roy directly addressed Utaha's confusion, laying bare the reality of his dependent status.
"Back at the refugee shelter, the reason he gave me face and let me take you wasn't because of me, but because of the true master of the Aozaki family. He was hoping to use me as a bridge to connect with those sisters."
Roy wasn't the true master of this household—he was merely placed here by the mansion's owner.
The magi of Fuyuki City treated him with superficial politeness, but that was all it was: superficial.
They only tolerated him because they hoped to leverage his connection to the Aozaki sisters. There were undoubtedly many within the Association who resented him, jealous that he had won the favor of the Aozaki family's head.
"If I went to Atram and demanded a servant, he wouldn't refuse."
Roy paused before continuing, "But you should understand what would be expended in the process."
What would be expended, of course, was favor.
Not just Roy's favor, but that of the Aozaki family's true master.
Utaha hadn't expected this turn of events and was caught off guard.
The cost wasn't enormous, but it wasn't negligible either—especially since it involved the Aozaki family's head, whose status was uniquely delicate. To borrow her name without her presence, all to stand up for a refugee?
A refugee who wasn't even their own servant, but merely a friend of their servant?
Frankly, who did she think she was?
"Utaha, do you know what your friend has been through in Atram's household?"
Seeing Utaha's furrowed brows, Roy understood her hesitation and decided to probe further.
"...No. He refused to say anything outright."
Utaha snapped back to attention and shook her head after recalling the earlier conversation.
She had pressed him several times—after all, if she was going to help, she needed to know the details.
But Tomoya had stubbornly avoided explaining what exactly he had endured, only reacting with terror whenever the topic came up and pleading for her assistance.
She found it strange, but seeing the sheer dread on his face, she hadn't pushed further.
"Is his life in danger?"
"I don't know. He just looked… exhausted."
"Hmm…"
Roy fell into thought.
"Fuyuki City does have protections for refugees. Magi, as masters, are prohibited from harming their refugee servants without cause—though plenty still do in secret… If he's only exhausted, then his life isn't in immediate danger."
The decree had been issued by Rin herself, the mayor of Fuyuki City. She had gone above and beyond for the refugees.
"Tell you what. I'll help you check on Tomoya's current condition first, then we'll decide. How does that sound?"
"That would be perfect."
Utaha's eyes brightened, and she nodded eagerly.
"How do we do that? Investigate his home in person?"
"No need for something so troublesome."
Roy smiled faintly and lightly traced a line in the air before him.
Suddenly, a silver thread appeared in front of him, splitting open like a pouch to reveal a chaotic black space within.
He reached inside, rummaged around, and pulled out a motionless yellow bird.
Only upon closer inspection did Utaha realize it wasn't a real bird, but a brass model crafted to look lifelike, its eyes made of tiny lenses.
Roy inscribed several runes onto the brass bird, then channeled mana into it. Immediately, the bird's wings began to flap, and it flew toward the window.
The moment it passed through, its figure vanished without a trace.
"What is that?"
Utaha stared at the spot where the bird had disappeared, unable to hide her envy.
"A simple familiar I made."
Roy explained, "I engraved it with invisibility runes. Since it's made of metal and has no life signature, and its eyes function like cameras, it's perfect for infiltration and tracking."
As soon as he finished speaking, Roy snapped his fingers.
In the next instant, a translucent image appeared floating in midair before them.
The image displayed an aerial view of Fuyuki City, the scenery shifting as the brass bird flew. Soon, it located its target—a luxurious villa in the residential district—and dove toward it.
"As expected of a Middle Eastern nouveau riche. Even in a place like Fuyuki City, he can afford a mansion."
Roy clicked his tongue in admiration, his face openly envious.
"Are we just going in like this? Won't there be barriers or something?"
Utaha, however, was nervous. The Aozaki residence had barriers—surely other magi did too.
And it was only now that she remembered: Roy was just a low-ranking magus, while his opponent was of the Cause rank—far superior in magecraft. Wouldn't this infiltration be discovered?
"Don't worry."
Roy waved a hand dismissively, chuckling.
"Atram's family were originally Middle Eastern nouveaux riches. Before the Great Calamity, they treated magecraft as little more than a hobby or a means of self-defense. It wasn't until after the disaster that they began studying it seriously—and even then, only for ten years. Their magecraft is third-rate at best. I could walk through their barriers blindfolded."
"But isn't he a Cause?"
"He bought the rank."
"..."
Utaha was at a loss for words.
That was possible?
Magi were supposed to be crucial figures who fought monsters and purged curses—shouldn't combat ability and magecraft proficiency be paramount? Why would anyone pay for such a dangerous position?
And how could something as important as a magus's rank be bought?
"That's just how the Mage's Association is. They've been drowning in a swamp of vested interests for ages, yet still act high and mighty. Rin said it herself—the Association is rotten to the core."
As he spoke, Roy guided the brass bird past the barrier's detection, slipping through its flaws to infiltrate Atram's mansion.
He wasn't exaggerating.
The quality of Atram's barrier was laughably poor, riddled with holes—nothing compared to the thirteen-layered, all-encompassing barrier over Mount Enzou. If Roy had been there in person, he really could have strolled through blindfolded.
"Found it. The basement. Uh…"
The brass bird slipped into the mansion—large, yet small enough to navigate easily—and soon located Atram's workshop, predictably set up underground.
The moment the feed reached the basement, Roy's expression turned awkward.
Beside him, Utaha's face also darkened.
***
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