If I could maintain Stealth Magic, it seemed unlikely I’d be discovered for now. At first, I walked through the Castle Interior nervously, but eventually, I proceeded as usual while remaining vigilant.

“It’s not as if they aren’t wary of Lord Ruon.”

During our movement, Garuku began to speak.

“Perhaps Nefmeiza hasn’t established a way to perceive Lord Ruon’s Magic either… that might be it.”

“That’s true…”

I can’t take the speculation at face value, but at least at this stage, there are no obstacles for me. It feels like things might work out.

“Another possibility is that Lord Ruon’s abilities are so extraordinary that they realized it’s pointless to strategize against them.”

“Pointless, huh? But if we assume that, then what kind of action would Nefmeiza take? Something like a method where it’s not a problem even if it’s discovered.”

“The fact that he has Magic Power spread throughout the Imperial Capital suggests he’s making considerable preparations. It might not be entirely wrong to say he’s preparing to deal with it even if it’s exposed.”

…I don’t think all of that is a strategy against me, but I can tell Nefmeiza is trying not to repeat his failures.

“I don’t know if Lord Richard’s Magic and Nefmeiza’s Magic are the same, but if they are, then Magic Power should decrease with each use. It’s possible to think that he’s devising various ways to compensate for that.”

“Indeed.”

Agreeing, I continued through the Castle Interior. As expected, there were no facilities to detect Magic Power… well, there are many important figures other than Nefmeiza in this Castle Interior. If such facilities were installed carelessly, it would arouse suspicion… that must be it.

“So, Lord Ruon, where are you headed?”

Garuku’s question. Just then, stairs leading to the Underground appeared before me.

“Down there.”

“The Research Institute you mentioned earlier?”

“Yes.”

In front of the stairs, there was a sign that read, ‘Authorized Personnel Only.’ The Underground was practically Nefmeiza’s own castle, allowing him a certain degree of freedom.

“There are people coming and going, so if I act too suspiciously, others will notice something is wrong… no, perhaps he’s handling that well too.”

I said as I began to descend the stairs.

I proceeded down the hallway, and it was time to enter the Research Institute itself… but here, I looked around.

“How can I put this? The security is far too lax.”

“Could it be that the Magic is working? At least, no one has made any gesture to question Lord Ruon since we entered the palace.”

If that’s the case, then it’s fine… I stared at the door directly in front of me.

I placed my hand on the closed door. There were no traps at all. If I opened it and someone was there… there would be a risk, but I calculated that I could bluff my way out.

The door slowly opened. For now, there was no one around. Given that it was almost midnight, it seemed the Researchers had already left.

Was Nefmeiza still awake…? I wondered, but I went inside. What was immediately surprising was the sheer number of bookshelves.

It was more like a library than a Research Institute, with so many books. Looking at the shelves, all of them were research materials, or data documents compiled by researchers.

“All this research… is this a culmination of studies Nefmeiza conducted even before he started to rampage?”

I muttered as I walked, being careful not to make any noise with my footsteps—just then, I spotted something strange at the end of the corridor.

“What is that…?”

Should I call it a Dragon’s head? When I saw it and approached, I was speechless.

“Oh, come on…”

“This is interesting.”

Garuku says—there’s a staircase leading down beside us, and I can look down at the situation below from a high vantage point.

I think it was probably an experimental facility or something similar. Even in the game, this place was depicted as having scattered documents and floors scorched by magic experiments, that kind of description.

But now, it’s being used for a slightly different purpose… It’s not just a dragon’s neck. It’s a research lab about the size of a small hall. And a dragon large enough to cover the entire room… that’s what was in front of me.

Of course, it wasn’t alive. But it looked as if it could start moving at any moment, like something out of a book.

“It’s not a model, is it?”

“I can feel magic power. It’s something like an artificial dragon.”

…It’s a being that would suit the description of a giant weapon. Something like this never appeared in the game.

“Is this another strategy against us?”

“That would be a reasonable assumption.”

Given that Nefmeiza knows about our existence, there was a possibility of elaborate preparations. That turned out to be correct, but even so—

“Creating and moving something like this would require considerable effort.”

“Indeed. However, regarding the power source, it seems we can explain one of the mysteries.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“It’s mostly hidden inside, so it’s a bit difficult to discern, but the magic power that existed in the Angel Ruins is definitely being used.”

So, in order to create this weapon, they’re using the angels’ magic power—this is becoming quite a serious situation.

“……Dragon Demon Stone must also be used. If so, acquiring a weapon vessel is urgent.”

“It’s such a massive creation. I imagine it would take time to move it, though.”

“Yes. But we should hurry.”

Abel should be able to become strong in a short period, and we might be able to do something before this weapon is completed… right? Honestly, there are many uncertain factors, but it’s still better to hurry.

“If a weapon like this goes on a rampage, the damage will be immense. We should act before Nefmeiza’s plan is complete.”

“Yes, I agree with that.”

…However, how far has Nefmeiza prepared? Since he’s acting so differently from the game, it’s probably best to assume he’s using Time-Space Magic to redo things. I don’t know how I fought, but to go to this extent, I must have thoroughly defeated him.

“We’ve grasped a part of Nefmeiza’s movements. Now, the problem is sealing Time-Space Magic.”

“If he utilizes the magic power flowing underground in the Imperial Capital, it wouldn’t be too difficult for Nefmeiza himself to cast magic. We’ll need to discuss this area again.”

Without Richard’s advice, who had the same experience, it seems difficult to break through here. We want to prepare thoroughly.

“We must destroy all of Nefmeiza’s plans and prevent him from escaping with Time-Space Magic. Therefore, what we must achieve is our complete victory.”

“Indeed… what we don’t know at this point is how Nefmeiza uses Time-Space Magic.”

“I’m sure he can’t prepare it immediately. If he could, it wouldn’t be strange for him to restart the moment the Marquis betrayed him, right?”

“Considering he later issued a notice to capture the girl, it means he hasn’t rewound time yet.”

“I think so.”

The problem is that it’s all speculation… And then, I heard footsteps from behind. I quickly hid. Since I’m using Presence Concealment Magic, I shouldn’t be discovered, but—

“…Ah.”

I let out a small gasp. Two men appeared. One was a man who looked like a researcher in a white robe. And—

“How is the progress?”

“At this stage, the completion rate is approximately forty percent.”

—A man with black hair and a troubled expression. He had a handsome face, but what was even more striking was the aura he exuded. It was intensely strained, making him seem as if his shoulders were constantly tense.

He was dressed in black noble’s clothing—he was Nefmeiza, the mastermind of this battle.